Secure, Contain, Protect
by Lordoftheghostking28
Summary: Nineteen year old Maria Robotnik found herself transferred from a local prison to the top-secret military research base, S.C.P.. But in her eyes, she hadn't done anything deserving to be there. She was sentenced to work with two new SCPs, both with vast, untapped power. Both deadly, and her ticket to freedom? Chapter one up, more on the way.
1. Prologue: Secured

**Secure. Contain. Protect.**

**New story time! Get ready for a whole boatload of creepy!**

**Rated M for blood, gore, action/adventure horror, and my twisted imagination and the game S.C.P.: Security Breech. **

**XxXxXxXx**

The man sat in the passenger seat of a black van, looking out over a house out his side window. The driver was facing the opposite way, observing the street.

The driver was a tan, middle aged man with graying black hair and dark eyes. He was wearing a suit, as though planning to report to a meeting. The other man was wearing the same uniform. He had dark eyes, hair and skin untouched with age. He wore a solemn look on his face, as though dreading something.

"People around here have said things lately...strange noises coming from the house. Like some sort of alien."

The man in the passenger seat didn't move. He remained silent.

"One of them said it's been going on for at least a month now. Also said that they suspect the owner of the house is a full time dealer. Grows pot in his basement. He's got other things too, they say. Hidden in a secret room,"

Still nothing. The man adjusted a black tie.

"We have reasons to believe he has found something we should have found first."

Still no reaction. The man picked up a pair of sunglasses and put them on, despite the darkness inside. He turned back toward the house, knowing the eyewear would begin recording and the night vision would kick in immediately.

"Your instructions are simple," the driver continued. "Secure and contain whatever he has that's alive. Animals are top priority. All of it. We'll run it back at the lab. Every plant, every animal...him too. Do not kill."

The passenger nodded, concealing a weapon in his jacket. "It shall be done,"

"Be careful. Headquarters wants you back alive."

The man nodded and stepped from the car, walking up to the front porch. He rang the bell.

Almost at once, the door was thrown open and a double barrel shotgun forced into his face. The man grabbed it and twisted out of the way, pulling his own weapon as he went. He shoved the barrel into the other man's throat.

"That was a mistake. I'm here to investigate. I heard you have something you shouldn't have."

The door opener grumbled. He couldn't have been older than 18.

"Name? Where're you from?"

"Patrick Yeul. S.C.P.,"

"That agency everyone's going on about?" the man lowered the weapon. "Fine."

Patrick nodded and stepped into the house, not putting his own weapon away yet. "I will pay you for your troubles, if it amounts to such a burden,"

The other nodded and pushed his shotgun into a corner, glancing at the curtained windows. "I'm Dune."

Patrick nodded politely, adjusting his sunglasses. "I'll just have a look around,"

Dune grinned. Patrick pretended not to see. He calmly followed the jittery man into his trashed living room. Pizza boxes were thrown in a corner and other junk lined the walls. There were also plants that looked suspiciously like pot, but Patrick ignored them as Dune attempted to hide them from view.

He crouched at a table facing the beaten TV and was a bit surprised to see a partly concealed latch. He undid it. Immediately, the floor opened to reveal stairs leading down into a hidden cellar.

"All right. I can't let you go on," Patrick felt something jam into his back; something more powerful than his small weapon.

"What's down there?" he asked calmly, turning to face the other man.

Dune broke into a grin. "I'm not sure myself. All I really know is that aliens exist. But they're not as scary as I imagined. Although, the opposite could be said for it." with a chuckle, he motioned for Patrick to enter the hidden passage. "You might as well see it before I shoot you."

Patrick did as he was commanded, hoping the sunglasses were still transmitting to fullest quality. The stairs lead to a small room, dimly lit. The only thing in the room was a large cage, built for a Great Dane or other large dog. A chain connected itself to the bars and to a collar. Patrick blinked. Dune hadn't been kidding.

It was some sort of animal. Its coat was pure white and untouched with age...a young one. It had large eyes and a small muzzle, a tiny black nose twitching slightly. A white crest of quills rose from its forehead, nearly obscuring its ears. Two more long quills trailed from its head. It was wearing some sort of shoe and glove; almost like a human.

Patrick estimated that was what it looked like under the dried blood that coated its fur.

Blood stained its limbs and body, gashes torn in its side and head. One eye was half opened, staring at the two outside its cage warily. One hand was clutching at the collar tightened around its throat. It attempted to move, resulting in a pained sound and a whimper.

"Took me a while to break it." Dune chuckled, putting the gun under his arm and walking over and unlatching the cage. "Had some sort of power I had to get around...Kept pushing me back." he unlatched the chain from the cage's side and pulled, dragging the white creature out.

Its arms gave out and it uttered a strangled sound as Dune pulled it out of the cage, into the middle of the room. It lay panting, its sides heaving, grasping weakly at the collar. A wound in its side had reopened, staining its fur a deeper red.

"Where did you find it?" Patrick asked.

"Woods," was all Dune said, driving the heel of his shoe into the creature's arm.

It opened its mouth in a silent scream, body shuddering with pain. An earsplitting shriek burst from its throat, startling Patrick.

"_How many times have I told you to shut up_?!" Dune hissed, landing a hard kick on its side.

Its body folded easily and it skidded a short distance with a wavering whine, trembling uncontrollably. Tears streamed from its eyes.

"I don't know what it is or where it's from, but it's not going anywhere," Dune grinned. "And neither are you, Patrick Yuel."

Patrick cast a glance at the terrified creature. Pity nearly broke his heart, but he forced himself to remain unemotional. Dune grinned again and raised his heel to smash into the creature's side again. "When I'm done with it I'll do the same to you..."

There was a mighty crash from upstairs. Dune stiffened, a look of shock on his face. "The cops...! Did they find out...?!"

Another crash. And then a dark blur darted into the hidden compartment, stopping at the base of the stairs. It looked like the other creature. Same build and facial structure. It had jet black fur with red streaks up its arms and legs and a small tuft of white on its chest. It had red lined quills, gloves, shoes, and a murderous snarl on its lips. Its red eyes were blazing with anger. Dune had dropped his large weapon and drawn a pistol from his jacket.

The black creature reacted instantly, dodging around him and landing a devastating roundhouse kick to his back. He dropped like a stone.

Patrick hadn't moved. He was partly in shock and in awe at the show of speed the creature had put on. It held his eye and began circling him. Patrick stepped to the side to clear the path from the stairs to the abused animal lying in the corner. The black creature held eye contact with Patrick for a short time longer before stooping next to the other.

"Silver...! Silver...!"

The other opened its mouth, but no sound came from it. Patrick blinked. Had it attempted to speak...? Dune hadn't said anything about intelligent speech...

"Silver...no, don't move...it's me. I'm going to get you out of here and to somewhere safe."

The white creature shuddered and choked out a wail as the darker attempted to pick it up. There wasn't an inch of its body that was unmarked; unbroken. The black creature grit its teeth and stood, the younger in its arms. It cast Patrick another glare.

"What did you do to him?!"

"Nothing." Patrick said calmly.

"What did you do?!" the creature shouted, quills and fur bristling.

A gunshot rang out. Patrick jumped, startled, and watched as the dark creature sunk to one knee, biting back a cry of pain. Another gunshot, but the bullet missed its mark and struck a wall.

Patrick shifted his eyes from the two creatures to Dune, who was still sprawled on the ground but somehow managed to raise his weapon with a shaking arm and shoot once more before the weapon clicked on empty.

A thin red line sprouted from the darker creature's mouth and trailed down its chin, dripping into its white patch of fur.

"What the hell, man? Kill it!" Dune shouted.

Patrick didn't move. He just watched as the dark creature struggled to its feet again, younger creature in its arms, blood streaming from its back and right leg. It shakily ran for the stairs, steps uncoordinated and unsteady. Only then did Patrick act.

"Stop!" he followed, surprised the creature had made it to the exit already. It darted into the night, blending in with the darkness.

Patrick pulled on his cufflink and pressed a button. "Code 9G. Send in backup. They are unarmed and wounded...take extra precaution,"

"_Right away_." came the reply.

Patrick adjusted his sunglasses and pressed a button on one of the arms. The night vision activated to its full potential and he ran out of the house toward the woods in the very near distance. The glasses picked up glowing traces of blood left behind by the fleeing creatures. Within moments, the sound of boots crunching over leaves was heard as the backup arrived, spreading and searching immediately.

"What were they?" asked one of the recovery crew.

"Humanoid. About three feet or so tall. One was tortured for who knows how long...the other was shot twice." Patrick said. "The one that was shot can speak. They are intelligent...that much is for certain."

"And no doubt terrified," the other man sighed. "We have others back at the house, cleaning up. The man in the basement will never walk again. What broke his back?"

"The dark creature. He attacked him because he had a weapon." Patrick said.

There was a shout from up ahead. Patrick and the other man quickened their pace until they caught up with the rest of the team. They were circled around a tree, lights aimed at the base. The dark creature snarled softly, but it didn't have the strength to fight. It was lying on its side as though it had fallen and couldn't bring itself to stand again. The white creature was lying a few feet from it, eyes opened but unseeing. It blinked once, a terrified, pained sound leaving its throat. It began to shiver.

Patrick was handed a syringe and he stepped forward and knelt next to the white creature, parting the fur in its upper arm and injecting the liquid into its vein. It whimpered at the cold touch but didn't try to pull away.

"G...get away from him...!" the dark creature growled, pushing itself up on shaking arms. "Stop...! Stop hurting him...!"

"I'm not," Patrick said softly, gently stroking the white one's quills back. "I'm deadening his pain."

The white creature had gone quiet and still as the drug began to take effect.

The darker's eyes widened. "You've ...killed him...!"

"No," Patrick handed the used syringe to a woman standing nearby and accepted a new one. "I'm helping him. Please, let me help you." he slowly approached the other.

"Get away from me!" the black creature shouted, twisting away from him and struggling to stand. Its leg gave out under it and it plummeted back down.

Patrick managed to soften its fall and dig the needle in its arm, quickly injecting the liquid into a vein.

"Stop...! Stop...!" it struggled uselessly as the drug immediately began to take effect. It eventually ceased its flailing and lay still.

"Get them back to base. They need help, now," Patrick commanded, handing the black creature to another of the recovery crew nearby.

"Sir, what about Dune?" asked another of the crew.

"Bring him too. Bring everything alive in his house." Patrick said."Orders from the Director,"

**XxXxXxXx**

It was thirty minutes later. Patrick stood in an observation deck overlooking an operating room, watching five of the greatest doctors and specialists work on the white creature. They were so tightly packed around the table that the creature was out of sight, but every few seconds or so Patrick caught sight of a arm or a leg.

He sighed and sat in the only chair in the room, casting a glance at the poster covering one wall. '_S.C.P. SECURE. CONTAIN. PROTECT. Special Containment Procedures_.'

"We're prepping the other now," came a voice.

Patrick glanced over to the door, where a doctor was standing. "If you want to try to talk to it, now's your chance."

Patrick nodded. He followed the doctor out of the room to another OR across from the observation platform. Inside were three other doctors and the black creature. Patrick knelt next to the operating table so he was eye level with the creature. It was on its side, bullet wounds on its back and leg easy to get to and treat as quickly as possible. A long mechanical arm branched off a machine nearby, the end of it embedded in the back of the creature's neck. An oxygen mask was strapped to its face, the tube connected to a tank of compressed air and chemicals. Wires were taped to its body, the readouts on the nearby monitors. Tubes from multiple IV drips stuck into its thin arms. It opened its eyes halfway and gave Patrick a defeated look.

"Do you have a name?" Patrick asked softly.

It inhaled sharply and let it out shakily. "I...I can't move..."

"We've interrupted the signals from your brain temporarily. You'll be fine." Patrick said, glancing at the arm extending from the machine. "Do you have a name?"

"Wh...what about..."

"The other?" Patrick asked, not intent on repeating his question. He hesitated, finally saying, "He didn't survive. His wounds were too great. We did all we could for him." Lies, but the creature would have no way of knowing.

"...N...No pain..."

"We've got you on painkillers."

The black creature sucked in another deep breath. "Can't...feel anything..."

Patrick nodded. "I know. Just relax now. When you wake up, you'll be on the road to recovery."

"No...no...please..." it gasped. "No..."

"It's all right," Patrick adjusted a dial on the oxygen flow, putting a drug in the air to knock the creature out. "We won't harm you."

Its eyes fluttered shut and its vitals dropped slightly as its consciousness was pushed away. Patrick stood and stepped to the side as the doctors began gathering around the table, medical tools in hand.

**XxXxXxXx **

**Yep. First incredibly creepy chapter/prologue. And Silver's already 'dead'...  
**

**More characters you all know and love on the way! Muhahahahahaaaa!**

**Tell me what you think about this, ok? This is going to be a dark, scary story.**

**Hasta la Vista, Readers!**

**Lordoftheghostking28**


	2. Chapter 1: Visits

**Chapter 2 **

**XxXxXxXx **

**'Item #**SCP-7038

**Object Class:** Euclid

**Special Containment Procedures:** SCP-7038 is to be contained in a eight by six yard containment cell. It has been fitted with a tag on its right ear, monitoring power levels and location. It is to be provided with two (2) sterilized blankets and one (1) mattress pad, all replaced every two (2) weeks. It is permitted two (2) meals a day.

** Discovery:** [ ] on [ ] street by Agent 'Patrick Yeul' and Dune [ ]. Shot twice in back of right leg and three centimeters to the right of the spine. Permanent damage to leg muscles.

**Description:** SCP-7038 is approximately 3'4" and somewhat resembles a hedgehog. It has dark fur with red stripes down its head quills, arms and legs, and around its eyes. It is quiet, intelligent and easily provoked. Can understand and speak human language [English]. It has a vast amount of untapped power. Re-enforced bones lined with a type of metal. Its internal organs differ from SCP-7039. More information needed'.

Maria Robotnik sighed and picked up the other paper explaining the other SCP subject she would be interacting with.

**'Item** #SCP-7039

**Object Class:** Euclid

**Special Containment Procedures:** SCP-7039 is to be contained in a eight by six yard containment cell. It has been fitted with a tag on its right ear, monitoring power levels and location. It is to be provided with two (2) sterilized blankets and one (1) mattress pad, all replaced every two (2) weeks. It is permitted three (3) meals a day.

**Discovery:** [ ] on [ ] street by Agent 'Patrick Yeul' and Dune [ ]. Abused, neglected and tortured by Dune [ ]. Severely weakened and malnourished. It had sustained when found: a concussion, five broken ribs, a fractured collarbone, shattered left arm and left leg. Multiple bruises (mostly around neck and esophagus) and gashes were gouged into skin and fur.

** Description:** SCP-7039 is approximately 3'2" and somewhat resembles a hedgehog. It has white fur and a crest of spines on its forehead; two more spines on the back of its head. It is silent, intelligent and easily frightened. Can understand (no record yet of speech) human language [English]. It may or may not have untapped power, although Dune [ ] mentioned an aura surrounding it. Its internal organs differ from SCP-7038. More information needed.'

_...Euclid? Class D personnel were only used to interact with Keter class SCPs. These must be on the way to class Keter...one step above._ Maria sighed. She put the SCP papers down and picked up another. She began pacing her tiny holding cell, reading.

** Welcome to Special Containment Procedures...**blah blah blah**...Assigned to Keter class...**blah blah blah...**You are Class D and will be out of the facility at the first of the month if you cooperate**...blah blah blah...**failure to comply will result in loss of life**..._wait, what_?

Maria sat back on the lumpy bed and stared at the light above her head. It was flickering...that would explain the persistent headache she had for the past three days. Why was she in this place? She hadn't done anything wrong...she had saved an animal from a life of pain...

She stood again and stared at herself in the mirror, squinting bright sapphire eyes. She was wearing the S.C.P. uniform for the prisoners; a plain orange jumpsuit with a number scattered over the back and front chest pocket (Hers was 42). Might as well make the most of this place...sure was better than living in a prison cell with another inmate.

The door opened and an armed guard stepped into her cell. "Come with us. And don't try anything. We won't hesitate to put a bullet in your skull,"

Maria followed the guard out. She was flanked by another man who prevented her from running. They lead her down several corridors and to a door that only opened at a keycard the first guard had. They ushered her in the room and shut it behind her.

"Hello,"

Maria turned to see a tanned man in a business suit and dark sunglasses. His hair was jet black and neatly arranged, as though he had taken special care about it. He gave off an aura of secrecy and slight uncertainty.

Maria nodded. "Hello..."

"I'm agent Patrick Yeul." the man said. "I have to fill you in on a few important details before you meet SCP-7038."

"All right." Maria sat down. "I got time." she rolled up one sleeve of her prison jumpsuit."It's not like I can do anything else."

"SCP-7038 is not to know about SCP-7037." Patrick started, not missing a beat and sitting down opposite her. "Be careful around this one especially. He doesn't trust anyone and most likely won't hesitate to attack. We've installed cameras in their separate cells to watch how you interact with each of them and them with you. At the first sign of danger to either them or you, we stun whichever one you happen to be with and pull you out. Be careful of what you say."

"It's a he?" Maria asked.

"As far as we know, yes. They are both males."

"What about SCP-7039? What's he like?"

Patrick thought for a moment. "I would say he is the opposite of SCP-7038. As it says in the files, he was abused and tortured by the man named Dune. He is uneasy around humans, but we're not sure if he will attack if driven to desperation. You need to coax him into trusting us a bit more."

Maria nodded. "Tell me, Patrick Yeul—if that is your real name—why am I here?"

The agent sighed. "What did you do to end up here?"

"I put an animal out of its misery. My grandfather is a scientist...he was performing an experiment on an animal...it was clearly in pain...I killed it to set it free. Apparently he lost a ton of 'Valuable Research' and I was arrested. Next thing I know, I'm being sent to S.C.P.."

"We need new test subjects to work with," Patrick said. "After a month, you'll be out of here, no problem. You are kind...I can see that. You wanted to save that creature. Your prison sentence will be dropped, too."

"Really,"

"Yes." Patrick stood and extended his hand. Maria ignored it and stood up herself, pushing back her blond hair and glancing at the door behind Patrick.

"Why pick me for these SCPs?"

"You have the look of a kind woman. They both need kindness if we are to work with them. How old are you, exactly?"

"Nineteen,"

Patrick nodded. "We'll get you out of there in an hour so you can visit SCP- 7039."

The door opened and Maria quickly walked in. It shut behind her, leaving her in an good sized, bare room. The only thing in it was a small mattress pad shoved into the far corner; two blankets thrown in the other. There was no sign of SCP-7038.

"Hello?" Maria asked nervously, turning back toward the door.

The creature was sitting in the far right corner, knees drawn up to its chest. It was wearing white gloves and red socks. It was glaring at Maria with narrowed red eyes, eyeteeth exposed in a slight snarl. Its triangular right ear twitched and Maria caught sight of a small electronic tag pierced through the thin cartilage. Red striped black quills flared from the back of its head, adding to the overall mysterious and startling creature.

"Uh...hello..." Maria started. "I'm here to talk to you, all right? I don't want to hurt you. I'm here because I'm forced to be."

The creature blinked slowly and stood to its full height of an inch less than three-and-a-half feet tall. It started pacing the edge of the room, limping slightly on its right leg. Thin patches of fur stood out on its back and leg, as though trying to regrow itself after being shaved.

_ The specialists must have had to cut it away to treat it_. Maria thought as she watched it walk, unsure of what to say or do. "I'm Maria...do...do you have a name...?"

Its ear twitched again. The creature sat on its mattress pad and held direct eye contact, a low growl rising in its white-furred chest.

"I don't want to be here either. We can make each other less miserable by at least knowing each other's names, right?"

Another ear twitch. Its growl rose in volume and it flattened both ears against its head. Maria took a step back, a bit startled. The growl grew softer and faltered but it kept its gaze locked on her. Maria turned her palms up in a sign of bearing no weapons.

"I don't want to hurt you...I promise,"

An ear flick in reply.

"I'll be right here, ok? If you want to tell me anything..." Maria sat down where she was standing and leaned against the wall. "But until the people in charge say I can leave, I'm stuck here. I'm a prisoner too."

She reclined further against the wall and stared at the ceiling. SCP-7038 stood and paced again, never taking its gaze off of the human. Maria turned and cast him a glance some time later, surprised to see he had drawn slightly closer. He, in return, backed up to his mattress pad again, ear flicking. Maria pretended to ignore him and stared at the security camera "hidden" in the wall.

* * *

She eventually jumped at a voice that echoed around the room, reporting that her time with SCP-7038 was up. She stood, causing the specimen to retreat to the far wall again.

"Well, I'll be back tomorrow." Maria said. "See you then..."

"Shadow,"

Maria turned, a bit surprised. "What? Did you say something?"

"My name is Shadow," the dark creature said again in a low voice.

"Well...Shadow...I'll see you later." Maria gave him a warm smile. Shadow didn't return the gesture and watched as the door was opened and two armed guards escorted Maria out.

"That was progress," Patrick said. He was standing by the door.

"He has a name...what about the other? Did he ever mention a name?" Maria asked, casting the armed guards a dirty look.

"He did...he called SCP-7039, 'Silver'." Patrick said. "We need you to confirm it."

Maria nodded. "Fine...What did you mean in the report when it said that their internal organs were different? I forgot to ask earlier..."

"SCP...I mean, Shadow's...organs were slightly larger. He has a bigger, stronger heart and respiratory system. His brain is slightly larger and we believe he has more mental capacity. His bones are laced with metal...Almost as though he were experimented on in the past."

"And Silver?"

"Smaller organs...weaker skeleton." Patrick said. "Although, he is quite young compared to Shadow. He may grow more in the weeks to come."

"How old, approximately?"

"Very young. I'd say about fourteen in human proximity and mental development."

"Shadow?"

"At least around forty,"

"Are they related in any way?"

"No. The tests we've run on them don't match."

"When do I get to see him?"

"Right now," Patrick opened the door out of the room and walked down the hall. He opened another door with a keycard and ushered everyone in. Another door awaited.

"Same as last time. One hour." Patrick opened the other door and the guards pushed her in.

Maria's worried expression softened when she caught sight of the other specimen. She dropped to her knees so she would be eye level with him and said softly, "Hi, there. I'm not going to hurt you,"

SCP-7039 had its back pressed to the wall like a cornered animal that didn't have anywhere to run. It's small, fluffy chest was heaving with fear, golden eyes wide and darting around the room for an escape route. It too was wearing gloves and red socks, like Shadow. A crest of five quills was lying flat on its head, ears doing the same. Its knees were shaking and it looked on the verge of tears.

"My name is Maria." Maria said gently in a soothing voice. "What's yours?"

It flinched as though she had struck him.

"Someone told me your name was Silver." Maria continued.

It tensed up and fixed its eyes on her with a look of surprise. So that much was true.

"All right, Silver. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise." Maria did what she had done with Shadow and sat.

Silver blinked but didn't move. He watched her for a while longer before making a break for his mattress pad, his leg giving out under him and sending him sprawling. He scurried up and dove into the blankets, burying himself. Maria chuckled slightly. Silver's head popped out of the blankets at the sound of her laughter and he fixed her with a wide-eyed stare.

"I suppose I shouldn't be laughing. You've been through a lot lately, haven't you?"

A tiny nod. Silver reached up to his right ear, where a small electronic tag was pierced through it. He picked at it for a few seconds, a look of discomfort on his face. Maria watched him, a tiny feeling of dread filling her stomach. Without warning, he took hold of the tag and yanked, ripping it from his ear. Blood curled down the side of his head, staining his white quills and fur.

"Silver...!" Maria stood and attempted to approach him, only to stop as he scrambled up, leg collapsing under him again as he tried to run. He pressed himself to the wall and curled into himself, that pleading look still on his face.

"Silver, please, let me help you..." Maria reached for his bleeding ear. Silver gripped her wrist with both his hands, trying to keep her back. A small whimper rose from his throat as Maria reached out with her other hand and gently pinched the bleeding area, trying to stop the blood flow. Silver jerked his head to the side but Maria broke out of the grip he had on her other hand and firmly put a hand to the other side of his head, keeping him from making any more movements. His eyes widened even more and he grasped at her arm, leaving faint white lines in her skin.

"Stop, Silver..."

Much to her surprise, he did. He still had a grip on her arm, but he had stopped his struggles. Maria could feel his pulse pounding in a vein in his head and the fear radiating from him. "I'm just going to stop the bleeding, all right? After it's done, I'll let you go," she said softly. "If you stay still it'll stop faster."

Silver kept his wide, golden orbs fixed to her face as Maria let go of the other side of his head and used the sleeve from her jumpsuit to clean the blood off his fur. It too was shorter in places, like it had been shaved to allow the wounds inflicted on him to breathe. Maria could see faint lines of scar tissue on his muzzle and around his eyes.

"What did that man do to you...?" she sighed.

A small tear dripped from his left eye and he tried to push her away again.

"No...no, I'm not like him..." Maria said. "I promise. I'm going to help you,"

A small whimper in reply. Maria released the pressure she was putting on his ear, glad to see the blood flow had slowed. She continued pinching it. "Almost done."

Silver anxiously shuddered, wiping at his eyes. He turned his gaze at the door and then back at Maria.

"They only allow me in here to talk to the SCP subjects. I am a prisoner too." Maria said softly. "I don't know how much longer I have to be here."

She released his ear and waited for more blood, but none came. Satisfied, she sat back, expecting Silver to bolt as far away from her as possible. He stayed where he was for a few seconds before shuffling back to the mattress pad and lying down, eyes still transfixed on her.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Maria finally asked.

Silver ducked into the blankets, as though startled. Maria sighed and sat, glancing at her bloodied sleeve. She picked up the tiny device Silver had ripped from his ear and turned it around in her fingers, examining it.

She was pulled from the room a few minutes later.

* * *

"I don't know why he did that,"

"He's under a lot of stress...He could have done that a long time ago."

"Why did he do it when I was there?" Maria sighed and put the sandwich she was eating down.

"I don't know." Patrick admitted. "Maybe...he could sense something about you."

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Maria asked.

"No. I have told you everything I know about them, and you have greatly expanded our knowledge just after a couple hours."

Maria picked her sandwich up again and continued eating. "Will they be assigned to Keter class? I thought all Class D personnel like I am was to only interact with Keter class?"

"Not unless something drastic happens," Patrick assured. "Say...they kill one of the personnel,"

Maria choked on a bit of bread.

"I'm certain you won't be the victim."

"I'd better not be,"

"I've scheduled another meeting with them both tomorrow." Patrick said. "Hopefully they have both warmed up to you a bit."

"Hopefully," Maria muttered.

** XxXxXxXx**

**Hurray, chapter two!**

**I hope you guys are still enjoying this! I needed to take a short break from Time and Space 6 to sort out my ideas, but there'll be more to that story really soon! And to this one, of course!**

**Hasta la Vista, Readers!**

**Lordoftheghostking28**


	3. Chapter 2: Experiments

**CHAPTER 2: EXPERIMENTS**

**I think I put a strong language and violence warning at the beginning of this story, but I better reinforce it again anyway. **

**This story is not for the young. It only gets darker from here on out. **

**XxXxXxXx **

"This isn't the way to Shadow's cell,"

"I prefer the term, 'artificial habitat'." Patrick said.

Maria scoffed. "Hardly."

"We're going to one of the recreational rooms to test something. You've noticed his limp, have you not? His leg muscles were severely damaged."

"Yeah? What are you testing on him?"

"A type of hover shoe." Patrick said. "We want to let him walk normally again. It works like being on roller skates...he uses less energy and we're hoping it's more efficient than limping everywhere," he opened a door with a security card. "We were hoping your presence would make him a bit more cooperative."

They stepped into a large room. Basketball hoops were set up on either end, the court markings painted onto the floor. A group of scientists were standing nearby, Shadow standing a few feet away. He was wearing some sort of shoes with red and white stripes and golden rims. They looked clumsy and awkward, and he appeared to have difficulty moving in them.

"Cool shoes," Maria said.

Shadow caught her eye but didn't respond. He instead tugged at a metal collar around his neck.

"What's that for?" Maria asked Patrick.

"He is still Euclid class," he responded. "We're not sure what he's capable of. If he tries anything, a painful shock will stop him. It's not enough to harm, just stun,"

Maria nodded. "And I suppose if you don't do what you're told, you get kicked in the balls. Not enough to harm, just stun,"

Patrick visibly restrained himself from replying. Maria turned back to Shadow, who had taken to sitting and ignoring the other scientists. He began pulling on one of the shoes, but couldn't get it off.

"Maria, get him to run a few laps," Patrick said stiffly.

"Sorry I pissed you off," she said sweetly before walking over to Shadow.

He fixed her with an odd look as she sat across from him. "Why are you here?" he asked in a low voice.

"To try and persuade you to run around." Maria said. "Although, I don't think I'm doing a good job."

Shadow scoffed and tugged at the collar again. "Get this off me."

"I can't."

Shadow snarled and tugged on it with both hands, with enough force to produce bruises. A loud shout rang out.

"HEY!" Patrick yelled sharply, striding over and pulling a small remote from his pocket. "Don't mess with it!"

Shadow had stood and dropped into a fighting stance; eyes narrowed at the man in front of him, fists and muscles clenched.

"Shadow, stop. He's not worth it." Maria said. Much to her surprise, he relaxed slightly and drew back a few paces, glancing from her to Patrick and back, settling on the S.C.P. agent.

"Now...I need you to run a few laps," Patrick said slowly. "To test the shoes' ability."

Shadow crossed his arms and glared.

"If you refuse to obey, I will be forced to..._persuade_ you." Patrick held the small remote up again.

"So much as put your thumb on that button and I'll make certain you will never start a family," Maria hissed, standing up beside him the SCP. Shadow's lips twitched in a slight smile.

"Continue with this unnecessary behavior, Maria, and I will restrict your access from both him and the other!"

Shadow's ear twitched and his hard expression softened. "Other...? What other?"

Maria didn't get a chance to respond before Patrick pressed the button on the remote. Shadow pitched backwards, pulling at the collar, writhing and gasping for the breath that was knocked out of him.

"Stop! Patrick! STOP!" Maria knelt by Shadow and attempted to keep him from hurting himself, only to receive a harsh shock that made her fingers go numb. Patrick pressed the button again and Shadow stopped flailing. He sucked in a huge breath and lay shuddering and twitching.

"No questions," the man said flatly.

The feeling was beginning to seep back into Maria's hand and she helped Shadow sit up, feeling his body shuddering uncontrollably. _Not harmful...?! Just to stun...?! Hah! That's a joke..._ Maria thought, furious. "Are you ok?"

"F...fine..." Shadow grit his teeth.

"Now before I do that again, you should really think about testing those shoes." Patrick said.

Shadow struggled to his feet, knees shaking. Maria cast him a worried glance, but he ignored her and began walking, trying not to let his legs give out. Twice he fell before Patrick shouted, "That's not what we designed them for! Run!"

Maria cast him a murderous glare. "Who do you think you are?! You can't force him if he can't!"

"He is property of S.C.P.. He will do as he's told," Patrick said plainly. "And if you mention one word about SCP-7039 to him, I will personally retire you. You read the paper. You will be discontinued under the label, 'Uncooperative',"

"And you'll be discontinued under the label, 'Unable to sexually reproduce'," Maria hissed, happy to see a vein popping in Patrick's neck.

Shadow had started skidding around corners at a fast pace, tiny lights under the shoes activating and propelling him along. He already looked exhausted, and his damaged leg looked as though it would give out any second.

"Faster!" Patrick commanded.

Shadow grit his teeth and tried to gain speed, only to stumble and sprawl a short distance. Patrick pulled the remote from his pocket...

"NO!" Maria grabbed his arm and slapped the remote away. Instantly, the scientists waiting on the sidelines jumped into action and dragged her back. "LET GO OF ME! LET GO, YOU ABUSIVE, EVIL, TWISTED FREAKS!"

Patrick retrieved the remote and held it in Maria's sight before pressing the button again. Shadow, who was struggling to stand again, was thrown back to the floor. His limbs jerked in painful looking spasms and his face was contorted in pain, mouth open in a silent scream. He thrashed wildly, a shoe striking the wall with an extremely loud BANG.

"STOP! STOP IT!" Maria cried. "HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! STOP HURTING HIM TO HURT ME!"

Patrick pressed the button and Shadow's wild movements ceased as he regained control over his own limbs again. He curled into himself, shuddering and shaking, sides heaving for oxygen. The scientists released Maria and she ran to him, kneeling by his side. She put a hand on his back in a comforting manor, muttering quietly, "Are you alright, Shadow?"

"..." he still couldn't form words. Only small gasping sounds.

"I'm sorry. I really am. And yes, there is another like you here...Silver. As far as I know, he's not being tortured like he was with that man—"

"Maria, pick him up and follow me," Patrick commanded.

"S...Sil...?" Shadow managed to say.

"Yes. Don't let Patrick know I told you," Maria muttered, gathering him into her arms and standing. Shadow didn't weigh as much as she thought he would. The shoes probably made up half his weight. He drew in another shaky breath before burying his face in the crook of her neck, shivering. Maria held him close and followed Patrick out of the room and down a couple halls until they reached their destination.

"You have five minutes with him," Patrick said, unlatching the prototype shoes from Shadow's feet.

"Fine," Maria walked into the cell, hearing the door shut behind her. "Shadow? You alright?"

Soft, even breathing answered her. She gently lay him on his mattress pad, pulling the blankets over him as he squirmed to get comfortable. Maria sighed and sat nearby him, stroking his coarse quills.

"Sorry I let this happen," she sighed. "I'm sorry I made him hurt you."

**XxXxXxXx **

"I have a request and a question." Maria said firmly.

"Yes?" Patrick asked.

"Why did you do that?"

"Sometimes, pain is the best motivator," he replied. "You can control anything or anyone with it,"

"My request is you don't ever do anything of the sort to Silver. He's already scared to death of this place...of humans. Don't add to that fear,"

"We will not if he cooperates." Patrick promised, opening the locked door.

Maria walked in to find Silver sitting in the far corner, a small tray of food in front of him. He stared at Maria as she walked in, and then turned back to the nourishment as she sat a few feet away. His injured ear had a fresh bandage on it and he had a small device wrapped around his ankle instead of an ear chip.

"Sorry I had to come during lunch hour," she said.

Silver crammed his mouth full of fruit, leaving a single, perfect strawberry. He nudged the tray toward her.

"For me?" Maria asked, a bit surprised. "Don't you want it?"

He shook his head and concentrated on chewing. Maria picked up the berry and popped it into her mouth, giving Silver a smile as she did so. "Thanks."

He swallowed the rest of what he had in his mouth and locked eyes with her, tilting his head to the side slightly as though concentrating.

"What?" Maria asked. She felt slightly uncomfortable, as though he could see directly through her. Silver unsteadily stood and ever so slowly approached her, one hand out as though reaching for something. He gently picked something off her shoulder and drew back again, staring at the object.

Maria inwardly sighed. A small clump of dark fur was being examined by the white creature in front of her. His eyes lit up and he gave her a hopeful look.

"...S...Shadow...?"

Maria blinked. "You can talk?" she asked stupidly.

It was as though a spark of life had ignited itself in him. His eyes shown brighter and wider, ears and quills straight up. He dropped the fur and faced her again, making his way to her.

"What are you doing?" Maria asked as Silver's hand brushed over her forehead. He hesitated and then did it again, coming in contact with her for a longer bit of time.

It felt as though her memories were ripped apart, duplicated, and then once copied, moved. Maria wondered if this was what it was like to be a computer. Everything she knew about Shadow and S.C.P. was transferred to Silver. She couldn't hold it back. And as he stole her memories...a few were transferred to her. But they seemed so natural to her...as though she had had the memories for a long time.

Silver stumbled back, slight fear on his face. "Y...You're a friend..."

Maria nodded. "I told you, I'm a prisoner too,"

The door was opened behind them. Silver shrank back to the wall, quills and ears flattening themselves against his head as three armed guards walked in and took aim at the room's two occupants.

"Maria, exit the room," one of them said.

"Why? What happened?" Maria asked, slightly afraid.

"His power levels were off the charts. Sudden spikes in mental concentration and physical power."

Silver sank down the wall and drew his knees up to his chest, glancing in fear from one soldier to another.

"We're going to run a few tests on him,"

"No," Maria said firmly.

"You don't make the rules here. We can guarantee no harm will come to him if he cooperates," the guard motioned to the door with his weapon. "Go now. Patrick will lead you back to your cell,"

"Can I go with him?" Maria asked.

"No. Please move along,"

Maria unwillingly made her way to the door, where Patrick was waiting. A shuffling noise made her turn to see Silver duck under one of the soldier's legs and bolt clumsily to the exit.

"Stop it!" Patrick shouted, raising a weapon from a holster.

Silver didn't attempt to run past him too. He instead clung to Maria's pantleg, staring at the undercover agent with wide eyes...like a child.

"Patrick, stop..." Maria said in a low voice. "Or you will force him to become violent...even it is to just protect himself," she didn't quite know how she knew that...it must have been a side effect of the memory exchange. "He has a reserve of power mainly for self-defense,"

"Does he now?" Patrick grinned.

Silver shuddered and pulled closer to Maria's side.

"How do we access these powers?"

"Just keep doing what you're doing, and you'll learn the hard way,"

Patrick fixed Silver with an unnatural grin. He, in turn, shrank back behind Maria like a small kid meeting an unknown adult. In a way...Silver was still a child.

"Maria, if you will accompany me," Patrick said again, turning to the door.

"No. I won't let you hurt him."

"Then we'll have to hurt you," Patrick took a few steps toward her again.

Silver pushed himself between the agent and the prisoner, a scared but determined look in his eyes. His body began glowing a light aqua. The guards raised their weapons, saying, "His power levels...! They've spiked again, sir!"

"Silver...! Stop before you're injured...!" Maria said, putting a hand on his shoulder. He stiffened, but began to relax. The glow faded.

Patrick laughed. "Wise decision."

"I...I don't want to go alone..." Silver said in barely a whisper. "I don't want to be hurt again...!"

Patrick hesitated for a bit before speaking again. "Fine. She can come."

Silver, still clinging to Maria's side, followed her out of the room after Patrick. They were lead down three halls and across a small balcony suspended over a computer lab. The guards eventually opened a door with a keycard and pushed them into a plain white room. Two thick, double doors lined one wall. Another wall had a staircase built into it leading to a smaller door up above.

"Maria, if you will be so kind as to accompany me," Patrick took hold of her arm and pulled her to the stairway.

Silver tried to follow, but a guard grabbed his arms and roughly yanked him back. He fell to the ground and tried to break away back to her, fear clear in his eyes.

"Silver, it'll be okay!" Maria called. "Just listen to them and you won't get hurt!"

The terrified SCP shrank into himself, trying to get away from the guards that were now gathered around him. Maria lost sight of him as Patrick pulled her into the small room and securely shut the door.

"What are you going to do to him?" Maria demanded, hands balled into fists. "Answer me, dammit! I have a right to know!"

Patrick held up a hand in a gesture to be silent. "You can watch." he said, motioning to a wide computer screen next to a window that was secured by a thick wall of steel. The picture showed the inside of the empty room.

"What are you doing to him?" Maria demanded again.

"It is a simple test." Patrick said. "But unfortunately, one that takes days. We secure him in a darkened room. He won't be able to see anything. He will be attacked by a few of the other prisoners here. He will have to defend himself."

Maria bit back a stream of profanity.

"We'll monitor his power levels and abilities. Depending on how many foes he defends himself from, his meals will vary."

"You're limiting his food now?!" Maria nearly screamed. "You're driving him into desperation?!"

"It is a simple test," Patrick repeated. "and no real harm will come to him." he assured. "The other scientists are preparing him now."

Maria sat down heavily in a nearby chair. "As soon as I get out of here, I'm bringing this place to the attention of the authorities. These SCPs cannot continue living like this."

The twisted grin Patrick gave her very nearly made her heart freeze.

The door to the test room opened, turning the spot on the camera to a blinding white. Silver was thrown into the room, tripping over his own feet. He sprawled and hastily stood, running back to the light that was slowly vanishing. The doors shut. He was left pounding on the metal. There was no sound, but Maria was certain he was terrified.

"The nightvision cameras are of the highest quality. It looks like there's a light, doesn't it?" Patrick grinned.

Silver felt his way to the corner, where he curled up and didn't move. Patrick flipped a few switches, one activating sound and another bringing up a small monitor in the upper right corner.

"This is his power level," he pointed to a small bar that was currently in the 'stable' range. "We have no concern that he can't defend himself,"

Maria wasn't listening to the man beside her. She instead was focused on the tiny sounds that came from the room. Silver was pleading to an invisible audience. He was trying hard not to lose it completely, but Maria could feel the desperation in his voice. He wanted to go back to his cell. It broke her heart.

"Patrick, please stop doing this to him." Maria said. "He doesn't deserve this. Not after what he went through."

Something on screen caught her attention. A humanoid figure was making its way toward the shuddering SCP. The figure was wearing glasses, and it appeared he knew where he was going.

"How can he defend himself if he doesn't know what he's defending himself from?" Maria demanded. "How do you know he won't kill them?!"

Patrick remained silent, eyes fixated on the screen. Maria had no choice but to do the same.

Silver still didn't know of the human in the room with him. He was still whimpering for help, which must have been drowning out the sound of approaching footsteps. The prisoner slowly reached out and grabbed the SCP's leg, throwing him easily into the center of the room. The monitor beside the screen skyrocketed. A bright glow circled Silver, and he scrambled away into the far corner, panting. Maria heard him call for the identity of the person in the room with him. The human didn't answer.

He instead lunged for the small creature and pushed him roughly to the ground, knocking the air out of his lungs in a heavy _whoosh_ noise. Silver struggled and kicked at the human pinning him down, screaming for help. His power level decreased sharply and he curled as best as he could, clawing at the hand planted forcefully on his chest.

"Attack him, you stupid creature! Attack!" Patrick hissed.

Maria watched, horrified. Silver must have been recalling what Dune had done to him...he was beaten and tortured for fighting back against his captor. He must think he was reliving the pained horror...

"Stop that man, Patrick," Maria whispered.

The prisoner slammed a fist into Silver's stomach, making the SCP choke and cry out in pain. He twisted under the agony and received another strike to the head. A tiny whine escaped him.

"Patrick...!" Maria said again.

Another punch. Silver spat blood out of his mouth and writhed under the human suffocating him.

"PATRICK! STOP HIM! STOP HIM _NOW_!" Maria slammed her hand on the keyboard under the monitor.

The screen lit up white and the steel covering the windows retracted, allowing her to see into the room. The prisoner had retreated from Silver, struggling to get the nightvision glasses from their eyes in the blinding light. The SCP was lying on his side, shuddering and whimpering violently. Patrick roughly grabbed Maria by her arm and shoved her to the door.

"_What the fuck were you thinking_?! You could have opened the door!"

"You can't do this to him! You can't! And if the door opened, then that would be for the better! You can't force him to do this!" Maria hissed.

Patrick came at her again, fist cocked back to strike her across the face. Maria acted quickly, catching his fist and then gripping him by said appendage and twisting his arm around. Patrick dropped to his knees and bit back a stream of curse words.

"Don't _ever_ come at me again like that. Next time, I will break your arm."

Patrick pressed a button on his watch and said, "Take the little witch back to her cell. Now."

**XxXxXxXx**

Maria punched the wall, getting only sore knuckles from the act.

"Dammit!"

She sat on her bed, burying her face in her hands, and cried for the first time in years. Silver was going to die at the hands of his so-called saviors. Shadow was probably not going to receive a better final chapter to his life either.

And she couldn't do anything but sit in her tiny holding cell. She was helpless to their pain.

** XxXxXxXx **

**And that concludes this chapter. More on the way. **

**I'm glad so many of you enjoy this so far! And as a sneak peak, more Sonic peoples will be mentioned in the next chapter. Remember to review, too, please!  
**

**So until then... **

**Hasta la Vista, Readers.**

** Lordoftheghostking28**


	4. Chapter 3: REUNION

**I have no intention of stopping this FanFic. It's just with school and crap and Metal Gear and other FanFics and homework and family stuff and drama and random things ect., the updates might come slower than expected. **

**But I will get this done. And it will be a really long story. Also slow updates due to the fact his entire thing was written on an iPod because my computer broke and stuff. **

**So get ready. Whatever. Enough of my rambling.**

** XxXxXxXx**

** CHAPTER 3, REUNION**

** XxXxXxXx **

It was three days before Maria was lead down the cold, white halls to Shadow's cell. Three days of endless worry about the two SCPs. Three days of loneliness. She found Shadow exactly as she had left him. Lying on his pitiful excuse of a mattress with a distant, pained expression on his face. She managed to shake him awake gently.

"M...Maria..." Shadow moaned. "Where...were you?"

"They restricted me access from you. Apparently I did something wrong. But I'm back." she said. "What happened to you? You don't look too well,"

"I'm fine." Shadow said. He made an effort to stand, but his injured leg buckled, sending him crashing down into Maria's arms. His leg was never this weak before...

"What did they do to you?" Maria demanded.

Shadow hesitated. "They...made me do something that landed me in Keter class." he pulled himself up and sat back heavily.

"Oh no..." Maria said softly. Shadow had joined them; the most poorly treated of the facility. Even before, he weren't in the best hands.

"They sent someone in a dark room with me." Shadow said. "He was armed with a type of device that created a shock when pressed to me. I fought him...I won. He was killed."

The exact thing Silver was going through.

"I further damaged my leg in the battle." Shadow continued. "I can't walk long distances on my own anymore for the time being."

"I'm sure you'll recover." Maria promised.

"I'm not worried about myself," Shadow hissed. "I'm worried about you. And..." he trailed off, but Maria knew who he meant.

"I only have a few more weeks before I'm out of S.C.P. for good. When the time comes, I'm alerting the authorities to this place. This cannot continue. What I can't understand is why no one's done it before." Maria said. "We'll get you out of here in no time."

Shadow cast his gaze to the floor and frowned. "Something doesn't seem right about this place at all. There are too many secrets. This entire facility was built on lies."

"Pretty much,"

"That man...Patrick...he is hiding something. He has a stern face...but beneath that is something else." Shadow continued. "Beneath his mask is fear. Total, complete fear. Of you, of me, of everything in this place. I think he envies you,"

"Why? He treats me like shit." Maria said.

"I think it's because you don't know what he knows."

Maria fell silent for a few seconds before saying, "You just decided something for me."

"What is it?"

"I won't tell you yet if I'm denied. But I have a way to hopefully start getting answers." Maria said. "I hope it works...and I hope he's still alive."

Shadow cast bloodred eyes at the door. "Our time was cut short again."

The doors opened and two armed men stepped in and motioned for the prisoner to exit. Shadow's ears flattened against his skull and he barred his teeth, fur bristling. Maria put a hand on his shoulder, calming him a bit before doing as the soldiers said. She was met by Patrick outside.

"So, what is it you have decided?" he asked.

"I need to speak with Dune."

Patrick chuckled. "That can be arranged."

"Oh," Maria said, a bit surprised. She figured she would have to argue a bit to get the agent to comply. "Good. When can I see him?"

"Whenever you want."

"Okay...but first I want to visit Silver."

"You are restricted access from SCP- 7039 for the time being," he said without missing a beat.

"What? Why?" Maria felt dread drop in her stomach.

"We are still running tests on him. He will be completed with them whenever he decides to cooperate." Patrick said, completely void of expression.

"You can't force him—"

"We can. He is our property. He will do as we command."

Maria decided to stop the stream of curses from exploding from her throat before Patrick thought twice about getting her to Dune. As much as she wanted to see Silver, just to make sure he was still alive, she had to hold her tongue.

"Wise decision," Patrick said with mock praise. "If you are done here, I will lead you to Number 1497, Dune,"

Maria followed him, the guards behind her. They walked past numerous testing chambers, labs, and cells, finally coming to one with a guard outside it.

"Is Dune really so dangerous he needs a guard outside his cell too?" Maria asked.

"He's not just dangerous. He's mentally unstable." Patrick said. "I doubt he'll tell you anything worth knowing."

He walked up to the guard and showed him an ID. The guard moved and unlocked the door, ushering them into a darkened room. The only light came from a flickering bulb in the corner.

"_Hiding...hiding...hiding.._." came a hoarse, whispered voice. "_But there's no way out...! Hiding, hiding, hiding..._"

Patrick flipped a switch and lights lit up the small cell. Maria blinked in the light before making out the form of the prisoner slouched in front of her. Dune was wearing a jumpsuit similar to hers, only with different numbers across the pocket. His brownish hair was unbrushed, and small clumps were missing altogether. He looked skinny and underfed. His wrists were strapped to the arms of a wheelchair, and other straps were wrapped around his middle and ankles.

"_You've been fighting them forever, and you can't take another bout_!" he continued in a slightly singsongy voice. "_Finding, finding, finding...they'll search you out...!_"

"Dune, you have a visitor." Patrick said flatly.

The man didn't respond to him. He muttered something else before completing his little song. "_And then they'll shoot you dead..._!"

Silence for a few seconds. Maria cleared her throat. "Dune, I have to ask you something."

"Everyone has to ask...! Always ask! Never anything else!" Dune said, raising his head and voice slightly. His eyes were dull and his cheekbones were hollow. He overall looked like a live skeleton.

"Why did you do it? Why did you hurt Silver?"

"Ooh...the little one!" Dune grinned. Unbrushed, bloodstained teeth glared at Maria. "Yes...yes...very fun. Lots of screams! Lots of blood!"

"But...why did you do it?"

"Soft fur, too...didn't stop the knife..."

"Dune!" Maria shouted, taking everyone in the room by surprise. "Cut the shit and tell me why you did it!"

Dune fixed his eyes on her face. "Lots of reasons."

"So tell me them!"

"Lots of reasons." he stared back at the ground. "Lots of blood...! Couldn't tell me where the blue went..."

"Blue? What blue?"

"The blue one!" Dune screamed. "Killed everyone...! Needed to know!"

"What?"

"Trying to know...wouldn't tell me...blood and pain..."

"What blue one?"

Dune had fallen silent.

"Dune? What blue one? This is important," Maria said.

"_I see something you don't see..._" the man sang softly. "_and it's looking straight at me. Hidden far, hidden there, you'd retrieve it, if you dare.._."

"Let's go, Maria." Patrick said.

Maria followed him out of the room. Patrick turned again and said to Dune, "You need to work on your rhymes," before motioning to the guard to shut the door.

"He really is insane." Maria said. "But what did he mean by the blue one? Who was he talking about?"

"An SCP from a few years ago. A product of genetic mutation and engineering." Patrick said. "He escaped and killed at least five people. Three out of four of Dune's brothers were killed. He swore revenge. I guess he captured SCP-7039 because they looked similar. He thought he would know where the other was."

"Why are you telling me this?" Maria asked. "It seems pretty top secret."

"The file wasn't marked in any way. There's nothing I can't tell you about that part. It's names and specifically what type of genetic engineering conducted are classified."

"So...was this blue one an SCP like Shadow and Silver?"

"He was. We found him in the woods, starving and freezing to death in the late winter. We brought him back here and studied him. He made the perfect specimen. We began testing and experimentation. But he was too powerful and became the first SCP to escape."

"And then it all lead up to this." Maria said.

Patrick nodded.

"You're being unbelievably nice right now."

"Don't push your luck." Patrick hissed.

"You've just proved you're either a bit insane, or extremely bipolar."

Patrick ignored her. "Follow me."

"Where are we going?"

"I'm bringing you back to your cell."

Maria shrugged and followed. "If it makes any difference, I'm sorry for insulting you earlier. If you want, when you're married and have kids, I could babysit."

Patrick's lips twitched in a slight smile, but it quickly faded. "Maybe," he muttered.

"Patrick, I need to see Silver again." Maria started. "I need to make sure he's okay. Please tell me you're giving him enough to eat."

The agent remained silent.

"Please, Patrick."

"I'll take you to him in two days."

"Thank you."

Patrick locked eyes with her for a moment. Maria blinked. Was that...a hint of pity...? It was so different from the madness in his eyes a few days earlier.

** XxXxXxXx**

"Dune said there was a blue one." Maria said. "Sort of like you. Do you know of anyone like that?"

Shadow glanced at the ground, eyes narrowed. "Yes. I do. Or I did."

"Who? Who was it?"

"I only knew him for a brief time. He was ...different."

"How so?"

"He twitched and stuttered out random bits of code or numbers. Things that had no meaning to us. His fur was thin and a bright, vivid blue."

"Hence Dune called him 'blue'," Maria said. "Makes sense."

"But that wasn't why he was different." Shadow continued. "He was fast. Faster than you could believe. He was always on edge. He didn't hesitate to lash out. And he didn't have a name. He had a code,"

"What was it?"

"Project 178-907/168 SO.N 4288 IC. We called him Sonic. He called himself a mistake."

"Sonic..." Maria thought. "The same Sonic that stopped that mad doctor?"

"Yeah. S.C.P. must have caught wind of him after that and hauled both the Doctor and him in after that. I had enough sense to lie low and only go out at night."

"Do you know if they're still alive?"

"...No,"

The door opened and the two guards walked in. "Time's up." one said.

"It seems like an actual hour this time." Maria said. "I've been trusted more."

Shadow scoffed.

"Well, see you soon!" Maria left with the two security guards. She followed Patrick down the halls back to her cell. But they made a different turn and started walking down a different passage. "Where are we going?" Maria asked.

"Your wish was granted. You get to see Silver." Patrick said.

"But it's only been a day."

Patrick pointed to the room and Maria entered. She climbed the stairs into the observation room and sat nearby the monitor and studied it, a worried look on her face.

Silver was curled in the far corner, drawn into himself like a small ball of white fur and quills. He looked skinnier and he wasn't moving. The monitor on screen indicated he was sleeping.

"It's the first time in days he's slept." Patrick said.

"Wh...what are those splotches on the ground?" Maria dreaded the answer as she pointed to several dark stains lining the walls and floor.

"Blood," Patrick said. "He didn't lose a lot. Most of it belongs to others."

"Who?"

"The prisoners they sent in with him."

"Is he assigned to Keter class too?" Maria asked.

"Not yet. He only harmed them if they hurt him. Self defense."

"Like I told you," Maria hissed darkly.

"I wanted you here to see this." Patrick said.

"What?"

Patrick motioned for her to watch the screen. She did. Someone had walked into the room, judging by the soft footsteps. Silver uncurled from his sleeping position and pressed himself to the wall as though trying to melt through it. "D...don't want to h-hurt you..." he whispered.

"Patrick, if you're going to hurt him, I don't want to see it..." Maria said.

"He won't be harmed." Patrick assured her.

The newcomer drew close enough to be picked up on the nightvision camera. "Silver?"

Maria felt tears well up in her eyes. Shadow was feeling blindly along the wall, following Silver's warnings. He nearly tripped over the lighter SCP.

"S-Shadow...?" Silver whispered. He began glowing a light teal to shed some light in the dark prison. Neither moved for a few seconds. Silver blinked and then threw himself at the other, wrapping his arms around his sides. He was crying and laughing and stammering things out all at once.

Maria wiped a tear from her own eye. "Thank you for doing this, Patrick."

The agent nodded. "It is another experiment to see if they will cooperate better if they know the other is nearby."

"You know, you might have a soul after all. Keyword being 'might',"

** XxXxXxXx**

Silver was bloodstained and had not eaten anything half-decent in at least five days. He and Shadow were both brought to a slightly bigger cell, with two mattresses stacked side-by-side in a corner. Maria was permitted to get them both situated in their new home.

"I'm glad you're still all right, Silver." Maria said, offering him a piece of bread. She had to rip the food given to him by the guards from his hands and then give bits and pieces to him every minute or so. Silver nearly choked to death trying to jam everything in his mouth at once.

Silver scarfed it down instantly, barely caring to chew. "I was scared. I...I didn't want to hurt anyone,"

"A lot has happened since you were forced to defend yourself." Shadow sighed. "I was moved to Keter class. Maria learned a thing or two about this whole mess." he deliberately didn't mention Dune's name.

"Like what?" Silver asked.

"Things about Sonic."

Silver's eyes grew wide and he backed up a bit, glancing from Maria to Shadow. "S...Sonic?! He was...the bad man said...needed to know...!" he stuttered.

"It's okay..." Maria said gently. "He's gone now. We won't let him near you."

"I didn't want to tell him..." Silver continued. "I didn't. I didn't at all!"

"You're fine. I promise." Maria said, shuffling over to him. She drew him into her arms in a protective hug. She could feel his heart pounding.

Silver sat down on her leg and leaned against her chest, shuddering slightly. "I feel safe now, though. With you and Shadow."

"Well, that's good." Maria said. "And we'll keep you safe if you can't protect yourself. Okay?"

No response.

"...Silver?" Maria asked.

A soft snore was her reply.

Shadow chuckled. "Poor kid's exhausted. He went through a lot, by the looks of it. If his fur was darker, he'd be going grey,"

Maria scoffed. "Is that how you got that white patch on your chest? Trying to stay alive in this place?"

"Very funny."

Maria grinned. "Maybe he'll start losing his fur."

Shadow chuckled. "He sheds a lot, though."

"Oh, brilliant," Maria muttered, patting the sleeping SCP's head. "Uh...there was something I meant to tell you, about Dune. But it slipped my mind earlier."

"What is it?"

"He's gone insane. Or more insane than he was. He was speaking in riddles and broken sentences."

"Like what?"

" 'Hidden there, hidden far away,'...things like that. But he made it rhyme."

"Prisoners have more access to the facility than the specimens, right?" Shadow asked.

"Yeah. I get ushered around this entire place and everything. I've seen some pretty odd things...odd people..."

"Maybe he saw something he thought was important,"

"I don't know," Maria sighed. "And frankly, I don't care. He is insane. He deserves to be locked up for the rest of his life."

"I would not wish that punishment on anyone in this facility."

Maria didn't say anything. She instead stroked Silver's head quills back, earning a tiny, deep sound from the sleeping SCP. "Hey, he purrs." she laughed.

Shadow gave her a small smile. "Only if he likes someone."

The doors were opened and the two guards walked in. Maria sighed heavily and stood, Silver in her arms, and deposited him on one of the mattress pads. He turned onto his side and curled up, muttering in his sleep.

"See ya soon, Shadow. And make sure Silver doesn't kill himself over the food." she pointed to a small tray of food still left over.

Shadow nodded, casting the two guards a wary glare.

**XxXxXxXx**

"Your month here is almost up," Patrick said.

"Yeah. Only a few more weeks."

"Make the most of them."

"What? Why?"

Maria didn't hear his answer as she was ushered into Shadow and Silver's cell. Shadow stood from where he was sitting on one of the mattresses. "He hasn't woken up completely. Only for short periods of time. Enough to eat a few bites and then drift off again,"

"Aw, poor guy," Maria cooed, sitting next to Silver's curled, sleeping form. "He really deserves the rest, though." she stroked his head quills. The blood had been cleaned from his fur.

Shadow nodded.

"So he's been sleeping for two and a half days?" Maria asked.

"Yes."

Silver's ear twitched slightly and he coughed before forcing one of his eyes open. "M...Maria...?"

"Yeah?" Maria asked. "What's up?"

"Heard you talking..." Silver yawned. "I don't want to wake up..."

"You don't have to. Rest as long as you want," Shadow said.

"Okay. Shadow?"

The darker's ear flicked. "Yes?"

"You're not gonna go away again, right?"

"No. Of course not."

"Good," Silver yawned again. "Because I don't want you to. Fight the guards if they try to take you again."

"I promise,"

Silver smiled as he fell back asleep. Maria continued gently caressing his quills. "Are you his father?"

"Not biologically." Shadow said.

"So you're kind of a step-dad?"

"I suppose he considers me to be one. I consider myself his mentor, but I haven't done a very good job about it. If I had taught him more, he wouldn't have gotten captured by...him,"

"How did you meet? If you don't mind me asking,"

Shadow hesitated and finally sat back down on the mattress. "It wasn't on the best circumstances."

"What happened?" Maria persisted.

"I was not...born...like other living things." Shadow started. "I was created in a lab. ARK Laboratory, I believe. I never knew what the outside world was like. I didn't know kindness, happiness or love. All I knew was pain from my mutated body and confusion provided by the scientists."

"ARK Laboratory...?" Maria asked in barely a whisper.

"Yes. Why?"

"My grandfather works there. You were the one he talked about when I was twelve years old. You were the one he said escaped...!" Maria gasped.

"You are the professor's granddaughter?" Shadow said with equal surprise. "He was always talking about you. How he wanted you to work in his field,"

"Yeah," Maria nodded. "But I didn't want any of that after I saw what he was doing." she shuddered. "I'm sorry for what he did to you,"

"It's not your fault," Shadow sighed.

"Anyway, please continue,"

"They spent years trying to balance out my chemical makeup, but it would always be too much of one thing, too little of another. I felt like I was burning from the inside out. I had migraines so intense I would hallucinate and black out. I sometimes would lose control of a limb. I was so sick I couldn't eat on a regular basis. It was a living hell. I wanted to die. And then they finally perfected it. For the first time in my life, I wasn't in pain. I could think clearly. I could spend weeks without a serious complication.

"It was about then I began planning my escape. I didn't know the world outside the lab, but I knew it existed. I could smell it on the scientists. It was the scent of trees. Not the harsh chemicals used in the lab. I planned my escape carefully and made it out in the dead of night. It was dark, but I made it to the woods and into a hollow log. Unfortunately, it was already occupied by a white furred hedgehog like me, only this one hadn't spent his life in a hell like I had. He had a different story.

"We fought for a few minutes. Silver was inexperienced with hand-to-hand combat and I bested him easily. He thought I was there to kill him. I just wanted a place to rest without being recaptured. He somehow...duplicated my memories...and accepted that I was telling the truth. He trusted me without a doubt and followed me like a lost puppy since that night."

"And then everything went to hell after a few years and you ended up here with me," Maria clarified.

Shadow nodded.

"I'm sorry. For everything that happened to you,"

He didn't reply.

"What's Silver's side of the story?"

"I..." Shadow sighed. "I suppose he should tell you that himself."

"All right," Maria said, rubbing Silver's forehead. "Why is he so soft...? You're pretty pointy...but he's like a cat with quills on his head."

"You've seen his kinetic power, right? He uses that instead of brute force." Shadow said.

"Ah. Well, he's easier to hug," Maria smiled.

Shadow scoffed.

"When he wakes, get a guard to retrieve me, if you can." Maria said. "Don't force him awake. Let him escape into dreams for a little longer."

**XxXxXxXx**

** Long chapter! Whoot!**

**More on the way in 2 weeks or so! Remember to review! **

**I like feedback!**

**Hasta la Vista, Reader!**

**Lordoftheghostking28**


	5. Chapter 4: Answers

**CHAPTER 4: ANSWERS **

**XxXxXxXx **

**IMPORTANT!**

** I don't know if anyone noticed, but two weeks ago there was a site error and FanFiction wouldn't send out 'Story Chapter Updates' and 'PM messages' and all that stuff. I just had the unfortunate luck to update this story during that. So those of you who didn't realize, there are two new-ish chapters for this. The previous one and this one. Please don't get confused on stuff. **

**Thank you and on with the story. **

**XxXxXxXx**

"How many more days does she have left?"

"Seventeen,"

"It is a shame,"

"Why?"

"She is so young."

"Many others are like her,"

"She has a kind heart. Unlike the others. She shouldn't have a cruel fate like this."

"There are no exceptions,"

"I know."

Silence.

"You will meet with her again today."

"I look forward to it,"

**XxXxXxXx**

Maria was spending a boring day in her cell. She was currently lying on her bed, head hanging off the side with her feet up on the wall.

_The guards could have at least provided us with reading material..._ she thought with a sigh. "Hey, how much longer until three?" she said loudly.

"Two hours," was her shouted reply from the guard outside.

"Aaagh..." she muttered. "This day could not be slower..."

** XxXxXxXx**

Shadow quickly jumped into the air and curled into a small, spiky ball, pushing off the wall with his feet and propelling himself across the room. He landed on the opposite side of the cell without a scratch.

"This cell is too small...I can barely do a Homing Attack..."

"Wow!" Silver said in awe. He stood from where he had been seated on his mattress. "Can you teach me that? You said you would!"

"I suppose I did...but why do you want to learn it? You've got your own set of powers." Shadow responded.

"Just in case." Silver shrugged.

Shadow pointed to a wall. "Make sure you're nearby one, or by something equally stable. Once you push off the ground, you've got to curl up and land your feet on the surface and push of toward your target. It's not easy, but once you start practicing, it becomes almost natural."

"Okay!" Silver stood by the wall and prepared to jump. He made it off the ground by a few feet and attempted to curl into a ball. That was as far as he got before he crashed back down. "Ow!"

"It takes time and patience. But with your power, you should learn more easily,"

"I think I got it..." Silver insisted. He jumped back up and encased his body in a cocoon of aqua, which kept him afloat while he planted his feet on the wall and pushed of it. He merely succeeded in sending himself crashing into the opposite wall, limbs flying, before connecting with the ground. "Ow...I landed on my arm..."

"Good for first attempts," Shadow said.

Silver grinned and went to work smacking feeling back into his arm. Shadow paced by the door, wondering if armed guards would be sent in to scare Silver into snuffing out his power. None entered the cell.

"I can feel my arm now!" Silver announced happily. "Now it just hurts."

"I'm going to attack you," Shadow said, walking to the middle of the room. "And you have to defend yourself."

"Why?"

"_Why_? Because you need the practice. In case they decide to drag you off again and stick you in a dark room."

Silver stiffened.

"The enemy will not warn you when they will attack," Shadow continued. "This is your first and only heads-up,"

Silver sidestepped as Shadow came at him. The dark hedgehog used the wall to change direction and keep coming at him. Silver quickly jumped into the air, avoiding the other, and fell back to the ground, planting a hand on the cold metal floor. A wave of psychokinetic power burst from him, catching Shadow's leg and hurling him into a corner. He curled at the last second and bounced off the wall in a blur of black, heading back at Silver. The lighter hedgehog didn't have enough time to move and sustained a cut on his arm, just above his wrist.

"...! S...Shadow...? You hurt me..."

"The enemy will not spare you the leisure to recover," Shadow said. "But for now, I make an exception," He returned to one of the mattresses, gingerly rubbing his weaker leg. "That was a good move, by the way. You deserve rest."

Silver licked the blood away from the cut, satisfied to see it wasn't deep at all. He put pressure on it and sat on the other mattress, waiting for it to clot. "You had a cool move too,"

Shadow didn't reply.

"Shadow? I meant to tell you this earlier...but I didn't." Silver hesitated, as if trying to find the right words. "Why are these people empty?"

Shadow blinked. "What?"

"Why are these people empty?"

"What do you mean?" the darker hedgehog had stood.

"I don't know...they're empty. Empty of emotion. The guards are, anyway. You, Maria and Patrick are different."

"How so?" Shadow began pacing.

"Well, Maria thinks loudly."

Shadow nodded and continued walking. "What have you heard?"

"She went to talk with...the bad man," Silver bristled. "He was different too. He can't think anymore. She was scared for him...she wants to know more about this place,"

"She does. I think we all do." Shadow responded.

"You care about us," Silver blurted. "About me and her. But you don't want to show it in case the guards take us away again."

Shadow cast him a surprised look. "I've never told you that. Stop reading my thoughts. I'm serious. Sooner or later you're going to stumble on my other memories...those are not pleasant,"

"Okay," Silver said. He fell silent.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Didn't you say Patrick was different too?"

"Oh yeah..." Silver glanced up at the ceiling and squinted, thinking. "He's...sort of complex. He thinks one thing, then another. He does something, but it turns into another action. It's like..."

"What?"

"It's like he's debating with himself. He can't decide anything."

"And the guards are completely void of any emotion or thought?"

"Like robots," Silver nodded.

Shadow paced the cell a few more times. "Can you tell if anyone is outside?"

"No."

"Alright." Shadow walked to Silver and leaned in toward his ear. "I have a plan. Whatever you do, don't follow me. If they try to hurt you, protect yourself in any means necessary. If Maria gets dragged into this, protect her too."

"Why?" Silver cast him a worried look.

"I'm going to find answers."

** XxXxXxXx**

"How did that song go? 'What's the matter with the clothes I'm wearin' can't you tell that it's out of style'? Or was that the second verse...?" Maria thought. "Ah. I was never really a fan of that song anyway. Not a catchy enough tune."

She paced her tiny cell, trying to recite all the other songs she knew. She knew she must have been driving her guard nuts.

" 'SOMEDAY! LOVE WILL FIND YOU~! DA DAA DA DA DA DADA'...Okay, I give up..." She swore she could hear laughter. "Shut up about me!" she called, resulting in an even harder bout of laughter.

"Jerk..." She listened to the laughter for a few more seconds before calling, "Can I leave now? It's boring in here!"

"Half an hour!" came her answer, still riddled with chuckles. She sighed and sat on her bed.

"Any more songs?" the guard inquired.

"Yeah. It's called 'The Annoying Jail Guard who Wouldn't Stop Laughing at his Prisoner'." Maria took a breath and sang loudly to the tune of 'Livin' on a Prayer' by Bon Jovi, "WHOAAAA He's insensitive! whoaaa-aaaa! Annoying jail guard! He took the key, and threw it away-ay...whoaaa-aaah! Annoying jail guard...!"

The laughter was reduced to dry chokes for air. Maria was sure he would die from laughing.

"I'm glad my imprisonment is so entertaining," she muttered.

A red light took her by surprise. It slowly flashed once before a blaring alarm sounded and the red continued. Maria slapped her hands over her ears and jumped up, screaming, "What's going on?!" She couldn't make out the guard's answer. All she knew was the alarm continued for a few seconds before eventually dying down to a dull roar. The red kept blinking slowly, bathing her cell red once every five seconds. She could at least listen to the alarm without it being painful.

"So...what's going on?" she called again.

"A SCP escaped." the guard said. "And judging by how loud the alarm was, it was Keter class."

"Oh..." Maria said. "Did they catch it yet?"

"Not yet. We're still on red alert, but I think they knew where it went."

Maria sank back to the bed. Her thoughts jumped to Shadow and Silver, wondering if they were all right. She hoped the alarm wouldn't bump her time with them back. She waited a few more minutes, the alarms still flashing and dully roaring, before her cell door opened. Patrick was standing there, flanked by two heavily armed guards.

Maria stood again. "Is something wrong?"

"SCP-7038 has escaped," he said gruffly.

"Shadow?!" Maria stumbled back, nearly landing on the bed again. "Why? Where did he go?"

"Come with us," Patrick commanded.

The two guards stepped in and grabbed her arms, leading her roughly from the cell. Maria shouted curses at them as they dragged her down many hallways and through many more doors. They eventually ended up in a balcony overlooking a room filled with some sort of tanks. Armed guards were making their way around the obstacles, guns at the ready.

"Is he down there?" Maria asked, pulling her arms away from the guards.

"Somewhere. We've sealed all other doors. We're fairly certain he's in this room. The generators here scatter his tracking device, but that won't remain a problem for long,"

"Why am I here, then?" Maria asked.

"He won't dare attack us if he knew you would be harmed as punishment."

A guard lifted his gun and pushed it against her temple. Maria stiffened, but still managed an outraged expression at the agent. "Don't." she hissed. "While you can prevent him from harming anyone, you allow your men to harm him."

"_Maria_!"

The frightened shout caught her attention. Maria managed to turn her head to look left, to the adjacent side of the balcony. Silver was there, curled at a soldier's feet, staring trough the guard rails at her. Handcuffs that emitted a bright green light were wrapped around his wrists and ankles, preventing him from moving and using his power. At least three guns were aimed at his back. He gave her a helpless look and cried, "Don't let them hurt Shadow!"

"I'll try," she responded.

"Yes, you will," Patrick promised her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the guards' grasp, down the stairs to enter the generator room. "Everyone, take position on the balcony! She will flush him out!"

The soldiers began to disband. Maria was left in a maze of mechanisms. She slowly began making her way through, calling, "Shadow...? Shadow, it's me...please come out...they've got Silver..." how could he hide in such a small room?

There was a creak of metal. Maria turned to see one of the sides of the generators open up. Shadow's eyes glinted in the light that hit them, pupils adjusting to the glow. A bullet rebounded off the metal covering, making Maria give a shriek of surprise and stumble backward. Shadow shut the metal plating with a loud clang.

"Get out of there or the rat suffers your decisions!" Patrick spat from the balcony.

There was a muffled thump and a squeak of pain. Silver began thrashing where he was lying on the ground at a soldier's feet, screaming, "No! No! No pain! No more!"

"I'm just getting started," Patrick sneered. "Kick him again of the other doesn't show himself in the next thirty seconds,"

"Shadow, please..." Maria begged. "Don't let Silver go through this again..."

The metal opened again. Shadow stepped out and held his hands up in a sign of surrender, fists clenched. At least ten guns trained on him.

"What were you hoping to accomplish with escape? You cannot leave the facility! This is state of the art security!" Patrick laughed.

Shadow didn't respond. He simply held the surrender pose, face set in a snarl.

Patrick signaled to the guard. A boot landed on Silver's side, making him spasm and cry out again. He pressed his back to the guard rails, curling into a tiny, whimpering ball.

"Don't...!" Maria started, but Shadow motioned for her to keep quiet.

"I was looking for something," he said.

"Oh? What was it?" Patrick inquired.

"Food. We aren't getting enough,"

The agent laughed. "Food! Out of everything...food! You could have found a way to override security! But instead, you go looking for the kitchen!"

Shadow snarled, teeth barred.

"Well, I can tell you you're a long ways from your destination." Patrick continued. He motioned to another guard. "Knock him out. Take the white one both back to the cell,"

The guard aimed and quickly fired. A tranquilizer dart stuck itself into Shadow's side, making him stumble and crash to the ground. His hands unclenched. A piece of paper fell out of one of them.

Maria quickly retrieved it and stuffed it in her sleeve as the guards ran down the stairs to meet them. She gently picked Shadow's sleeping form up, only to have him snatched away by a guard. She was pushed away by another, back the way she had come.

"Don't hurt them...!" she warned.

"Or what?" Patrick grinned. That was the last she saw of him for a while.

** XxXxXxXx**

"SHADOW! _SHADOW_!"

"How long has he been screaming?" a guard asked, walking up alongside another.

"Since Agent Yeul took the other to be interrogated." the other responded. "He was convinced he escaped for something other than food. And he's certain he's found it,"

"SHADOW!"

"Why is he yelling?" the first guard asked.

"I don't know. Rumor has it he mind-linked with the other SCP. He can feel his pain."

"What are they doing to him? In the interrogation room?"

"obviously executing some harsh punishment."

Inside the cell, Silver was curled on his side, clutching at his head. He couldn't stop the stream of images that clouded his mind and the burning pain that accompanied them.

_ Patrick leered down at Shadow and picked up a syringe. The SCP was strapped to a long, metal table, wrists and ankles secured by cracked leather straps. Blood trickled from his mouth and nose, and one eyes was filled with blood from a cut above it. His fur was singed, the smell acidic. Shadow hissed in anger and pain, but it was drowned out by a cough that brought up specks of red. The room was darkened and dirty. Two guards stood by the table he was strapped to, Patrick standing at his feet. _

_They first came at him with their fists. When that didn't prove useful to spilling information, they turned to burning. He had not uttered anything but hisses and growls of pain. On to something new._

_ "I fear you will never fully recover if we continue with the pyrotorture. Yet you seemed to be breaking under that pain. Fortunately, we have an alternate," Patrick grinned. _

_Shadow coughed again and tried to draw in a deep breath, only succeeding in choking on his own blood. A broken rib in his left side ground painfully against others. _

_"This is what we call Bloodfire." the agent continued. "And you can guess what it does. Now, you will experience it, unless you tell me what you were really looking for, and what you've found in your escape," _

_Shadow stared at the light above him and tried to block out his previous injuries. He shut his eyes and tried to picture the forest...anything to escape this hell. He didn't realize the needle entered his shoulder before it was too late._

_ Bloodfire was an understatement. Almost instantly, the serum hit his nerves like a torch to ice. It seemed to be melting him inside, spreading down his chest and arm. Shadow clenched his teeth and ripped at the side of the table with his fingers, not uttering a sound other than short bursts of breath. His eyes were squeezed so tight the light above him appeared dark. He kicked out, as though certain he could push the pain away._

_ It began to fade, leaving numbness. He kept his eyes shut, but barred his teeth in a snarl. He gasped in lungfuls of air as though they would be his last. His fingers were bleeding._

_ "It takes a lot out of you, doesn't it?" Patrick sneered. "That was only half a normal dosage for a regular human."_

_ Shadow coughed again and wheezed out, "Go to hell, you bastard...!" _

_Patrick chuckled. "Maybe I'll triple the dose. Or I'll get the other in here. I'll make him watch. Then I'll force you to watch as he goes under the same pain you went through. I'll make you watch as I kill him. And if you still won't talk, I'll get Maria,"_

_ "YOU...WOULDN'T...DARE!" Shadow roared. He tugged at the restraints, only earning a hard strike to his face by a guard. _

_"Oh, I'll dare." Patrick promised. "Unless you start telling me what I want to know." he began measuring another dosage of Bloodfire from a vial._

_ Shadow grit his teeth and didn't say anything else._

_ "Last chance," Patrick said, lowering the needle to his stomach. "What were you hoping to accomplish?"_

_ A miniscule look of fear flitted across Shadow's face for mere seconds. It was quickly replaced with anger. "Nothing. I was planning the route for my real escape." _

_"You are not a good liar," Patrick grinned, plunging the needle into the SCP's flesh. _

_It spread all across his body this time. Shadow thrashed wildly in his bonds, biting his tongue so hard another stream of blood gushed from his mouth. A tiny whimper ripped itself from his throat, slowly escalating with the agony until he was screaming. His voice faltered and gave out, but his mouth was still open in a silent, piercing wail. When the Bloodfire's pain began to die out, he was already unconscious._

"SHADOW...?! _SHADOW_!"

**XxXxXxXx**

Maria was lead back to her cell. The crumpled paper she had retrieved from Shadow was still tucked into her sleeve, and she waited a few minutes before flattening it out. What she saw chilled her to the bone.

_** S.C.P. NOTICE AS OF 1/21/20XX**_

_ All Class D personnel will be retired at the first of the month. Methods of retirement MUST be quick and relatively clean. There must be no remainders of the Class before new personnel are admitted. _

_-Dr. Edward Jones._

She read it over at least a hundred times.

_So that was why Patrick said make the most of my time here..._ she thought.

She eyed the toilet in her cell and began ripping the paper to confetti shreds, dumping them in the bowl and flushing them. Evidence erased. It was as though nothing happened.

Her heart was still pounding. Shadow had risked his life to find answers...she was certain he had only scratched the surface.

** XxXxXxXx**

Silver was huddled against the wall, knees drawn up to his chest. He flinched as the door opened and a guard walked swiftly in, dragging Shadow behind him. The man threw the SCP into the middle of the cell and quickly walked out again. Silver scrambled to Shadow's side.

"Shadow...?! Are you okay?!"

"I'm...fine..." Shadow grunted. He tried to push himself off the cold stone, but his shaking arms gave out and he collapsed back to the floor. He winced as something ground into a rib.

"Don't move...I can heal you," Silver said. "Just don't move away..."

Shadow grit his teeth, expecting pain. What he received instead was a warm sensation spreading from Silver's hand on his back to his wounds. A rib shifted back into place, and despite making a terrible grinding sound, didn't hurt at all. His various facial wounds healed along with his burns. His migraine vanished.

"Okay...that should do it..." Silver said, sitting back heavily.

"You didn't use too much power, did you?" Shadow demanded, sitting up gingerly.

"No...I just feel dizzy." The white hedgehog said.

Shadow stood warily and took a few steps. He held out a hand to Silver, who took it and unsteadily stood.

"Maybe I did use too much power..." he muttered. "I feel really tired. I...I might pass out."

Shadow directed him to his mattress, which Silver more or less collapsed on and curled up. He nuzzled his way into the blankets and with a sigh, fell asleep. Shadow leaned against the wall and tried to keep watch, but fatigue set in and he eventually entered a world of nightmares.

If the information on the paper was correct, Maria only had a few weeks to live.

** XxXxXxXx**

** Dun dun duuuun...!**

** I'm pretty sure in the S.C.P. game there's a piece of paper that says stuff about being killed at the beginning of the month and stuff. I just can't remember what it said.**

** Anyway, there's another chapter! Be happy! Yey! More in two weeks!**

**Remember to review!**

** Hasta la Vista, Readers**!

**Lordoftheghostking28**


	6. Chapter 5: Death Sentence

**Chapter 5: Death ****Sentence**

** XxXxXxXx**

**Ok, so I have gotten at least two reviews asking to turn this into yaoi.**

** ... Really? ಠ_ಠ**

** I'm not going to do that, because that would sort of ruin the entire story from what I have planned out, and it was stated that Shadow was like a dad to Silver. **

**So no yaoi. Sorry...**

** XxXxXxXx**

Maria sat up, heart pounding, and stared straight ahead at the locked door. It was still early in the morning, judging by the pitch blackness that filled her cell. Lights on wasn't until seven. She tried to recall her dream.

She brushed her hair out of her eyes and sighed heavily. She was outside, in an endless green field. There was something else before that, but she couldn't recall that part of her vision. Shadow was beside her, staring around the field in awe. Silver was up ahead, shooting bolts of PK at a butterfly and laughing in glee.

"We made it," Shadow said. "I can't believe it."

Maria nodded. Something was keeping her rooted to the spot, but she couldn't look down. She was aware of a light to the right of her, but she could do nothing but stare straight ahead. As though she were a statue.

The dream changed.

They were recaptured. Shadow was hiding in a generator. Silver was pressed to the wall, staring at the wasted form of Dune as he stared at him from the wheelchair. The man was chanting some obscure nonsense. Maria tried to stop Patrick from shooting off a pistol at the insane inmate, but he didn't listen. After the deed was done, he handed her the extermination notice that would snuff out her life.

And then, through the wall...

..._A living shadow_...

Maria shook her head and brought herself back to reality. Too much had happened. Too much horror for one day alone. She still had time. She could make a plan with Shadow and Silver. They would escape before her final days were up. She was sure of it.

She fell back asleep with a smug smile on her lips.

** XxXxXxXx**

The next morning was like usual. She was brought to Shadow and Silver's cell, somehow managing not to insult Patrick once along the way. She walked into the two SCP's living space to find a mound of black, white and red fur and quills curled in the corner.

"Aww, you guys sleep like kittens," she chuckled.

The pile moved a bit and Shadow raised his head, squinting in her direction. "You're here already...?"

"Yeah. Is it too early?"

"No." Shadow sat up. "It's fine."

"How's Silver?" Maria asked.

"He's just tired. He used too much power yesterday healing me," Shadow hesitated and lowered his voice. "Did you read it?"

Maria gave a tiny nod. Shadow leaned back against the wall and sighed. "Well...?"

"Well what?"

Shadow shook his head. "Never mind."

Silver moved slightly and raised his head, quills messy and curled into his face. "C...cold..."

"Here." Maria threw a blanket at him, which more or less wrapped around his face.

"Thanks," he muttered, pulling it off and rolling up in it. _'Maria? Are you ok? You seem troubled._'

Maria blinked. "What...?"

_ 'No, not out loud! They'll hear. Just think it. I can talk to you like this, but not for very long.'_

_'Won't they sense a power spike in you?_' Maria thought.

_ 'I don't know. Do you have a plan?'_

"No," she whispered.

Silver sighed and lowered his head back to the mattress. "I'm hungry," he said.

"They'll probably feed us when she leaves," Shadow said.

"I hope so,"

"What did you use too much power on, Silver?" Maria asked.

"Shadow was hurt. They...hurt him yesterday. I healed him." Silver shuddered.

Maria cast her gaze at the ground and sighed. _'They tortured him for what he found when he escaped?'_

Silver nodded. _'He told them nothing.' _

"Wow," Maria muttered, leaning back against the wall.

_ 'If you think of a plan, tell it to us next time we meet,'_ Silver said. _'We need all the help and ideas we can get.'_

_ 'I will,'_ she responded.

Shadow sighed and arched his back, cracking his spine loudly. "I don't know how much longer I can stand it here..."

"Yeah," Silver nodded.

"Have you... seen Sonic here at all?" Maria asked. "Have the guards mentioned him...? Anyone?"

"No. We didn't bother asking either." Shadow said. "He was already messed up. I don't want to think of what they were doing to him lately, either."

"There's something I don't understand," Maria frowned. "The purpose of this place is to secure, contain and protect, right?"

"Yeah," Silver nodded.

"Then why are they experimenting on some of their 'secured, contained and protected' subjects?"

"Because they're evil," Silver said softly. "I don't like it here. They hurt us...I want them to stop..."

Maria sighed. "I think we all do."

**XxXxXxXx **

Maria sat, bored, in her cell sometime later. She lay on her bed and sighed, trying to figure a way to cheat herself out of death. Nothing came to mind. S.C.P. was simply too heavily guarded. They would foil anything she tried.

Maria frowned slightly, wondering how her death would be staged. Would it be a simple shooting...? Poisoning? Would Patrick kill her himself? Would she get notice of her 'retirement' beforehand? Would she get to see Silver and Shadow one last time? Would they know?

Too many questions without answers. Besides, she still had a few days to go. She would come up with a plan by then.

**XxXxXxXx **

"It's sort of late in the day, isn't it?" Maria growled as Patrick opened her cell door. "I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me."

"Obviously I didn't." the agent retorted. "Now come on."

"Somebody's in a bad mood~..."

Patrick shot her a glare. Maria smirked as he lead her down the halls. "You know, I know my way around here by now. You don't have to guide me. I won't get lost."

Patrick didn't reply. Maria turned to walk down the usual hallway, only to run into a guard. He pushed her back, making her stumble. "Excuse me, Mr. Menacing Bouncer, but I need to get down that hall."

"Not today," Patrick said, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her down the hallway in front of them.

"What do you mean, 'not today'? This is the only way to their cell!" her heart began to race.

"We have a different SCP we need to introduce you to. And who knows, you might make some friends."

Maria relaxed slightly. She would live another day. Her legs felt weak. Patrick lead her to a room, unlocking the door with a keycard. She stepped in and was greeted by two other Class D prisoners, who looked as thrilled as she did to be there.

"Maria, this is Randy," Patrick motioned to a young, skinny, fair skinned man with short brown hair and blue eyes. He nodded in acknowledgement. "And this is Davante."

Davante was an older, darker skinned man who looked as though he might have been a professional wrestler before he ended up in S.C.P.. He cast Maria a look and winked.

"The three of you are assigned to SCP-173." Patrick said.

"Is there anything we need to know about this thing?" Randy asked in a hoarse voice.

Patrick hesitated. "No."

"Then send us in."

Patrick climbed a set of stairs nearby. "Please step into the isolation chamber when I instruct. Failure to do so will result in severe consequences,"

Maria cast him a look. "Or, in other words, you'll KILL us?"

Patrick didn't react. He pressed a few buttons on a panel. The door began to open. Maria gasped and nearly fell backwards, saved instead by Davante. "Th-thanks..." she muttered.

Leaning against one side of the room was the most grotesque and mutated form she had ever seen. It was about seven feet tall, with a head too big for its body and its body too long for its limbs. Its tiny, stubby arms were pressed to the wall, as though steadying itself. Its face was turned to the door in a permanent expressionless (as far as she could tell) glare. It looked to be made out of a hardened burlap sack. Except its face.

Its eyes were green orbs that stared blankly ahead. It looked as though the burlap was its skin, and it had torn around its nose and eyes, leaving a bloody pulp. It had a gaping hole for a nose. A tiny mouth was filled with four jagged teeth.

"S'okay," Davante said in barely a whisper.

"What is that thing? Patrick?!" Maria stood, legs threatening to give out again.

"That is SCP-173, The Sculpture." Patrick responded. "Now, please enter the cell."

"This is it, isn't it?!" Maria screamed. "This is how you plan to kill us!"

Davante pushed her forward, toward the cell doors. "I suggest you move. Patrick isn't a force to be reckoned with. I wouldn't anger him now..."

"Davante, he's going to kill us!" Maria screamed.

"Please enter the cell." Patrick repeated slowly. "Or I will be forced to exterminate you."

Maria faced the SCP and drew in a deep breath. "It...it isn't moving..."

"Hence the name, 'The Sculpture'." Patrick said curtly.

The three prisoners walked into the cell. Randy glanced at the SCP and then back at the doors shutting behind them, saying, "Well, if this is the end, I welcome it."

Maria blinked away the tears that were threatening to spill. She didn't get to say goodbye...to anyone. Shadow, Silver, her remaining family...

"What do we do?" Davante asked. "Do we just stand here?"

"Seems like a plan," Maria gulped.

Randy walked up to the SCP and stared it straight in its eyes. "So you're so dangerous, huh? Prove it."

"Don't, Randy..." Maria sputtered. She felt ready to run...she needed to get out of the room...

"Why don't you prove you're as dangerous as they said you are. Keter class? I don't think so." Randy continued. He reached out and flicked the SCP's arm. "Feels like stone..."

"Randy, get away from that thing, right now..." Maria warned again, blinking away her fear.

It happened so fast. The SCP moved, encasing its arms around Randy's head.

The prisoner screamed, clawing at its stone arms. "LET ME GO! LET ME GO! YOU BASTARD! GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF ME!"

"Randy, keep calm!" Davante shouted. "We'll get you out of there."

"QUICKLY! IT'S DIGGING INTO MY NECK!" Randy squeezed his eyes shut.

"What do we do?" Maria gasped, staring at the other prisoner. "We can't break stone with our bare hands!"

"Hold on, I'll think of something." Davante promised, shutting his eyes in concentration.

There was an unpleasant snap.

The SCP released Randy's lifeless body and he slumped to the floor, neck broken and parts of his skull caved in from where the creature had gripped him to do the deed. Maria screamed and leapt back, staring at The Sculpture. "DAVANTE!"

"Oh, now that asshole did not just do that..." he growled. "You're messing with the wrong people here, stone sackface."

The SCP did not move. Its head was turned as if to stare at the wall, but its body was pointed at them, arms extending as if to take its next victim. "What do we do?" Maria refused to look back at Randy's body.

"We get the hell out of here." Davante said. "I'll keep an eye on this thing. You search the door."

Maria nodded and ran back to the door, trying to pry the doors open. No luck. She searched the sides, hoping to find an emergency override button. "There's nothing here. We're sealed in...!" she reported.

"There's got to be something...just keep looking!"

"There's nothing! I don't know if we can get out of here!"

_ Snap_.

Maria whirled around to see Davante drop to the floor, the SCP standing over him. Maria screamed again, pressing her back against the door. A red light flashed throughout the room. The SCP didn't move as the lights flickered.

Maria fell backwards as the doors opened, still never taking her eyes of the monster. She crawled backwards, pushing herself out of sight from the SCP. The lights flickered again and went out. emergency lights dimly lit the room. Maria gasped and shuddered, waiting for the thing to crawl around the corner at any second.

Patrick was nowhere to be seen. The entire room was deserted. She picked up the courage to glance around the corner, seeing only Davante and Randy as they lay motionless on the ground.

SCP-173 had vanished.

"I need to get out of here," Maria gasped. She turned to the door and pried it open, facing the darkened hallway ahead of her. "But first...I need to get Shadow and Silver."

She ran down the hall, searching for any landmark to guide her to their cell. She didn't search very long before an earsplitting crash sounded down the hallway. Maria froze. If anything came at her, she wouldn't have a chance against it. She listened for anything...hoping that whatever had made the sound would go away.

Another crash.

She could see a door beginning to give way.

Crash.

"_Move_!"

Maria turned to see Shadow jump from a small side room. He pulled her into a nearby room and motioned for her to duck under a table. She did, and he pressed himself to the wall, glancing around it down to the door. Three more crashes sounded. Maria nearly screamed when Silver pushed up against her.

"I...I can hear its mind..." he whispered. "It's...whatever it is...it's angry..."

"Is it out to feed on anything it can find?!" Maria inquired.

"No...it just wants out..."

The door gave way. Shadow squinted into the hall, trying to see what they were up against. A tall, skinny, pale humanoid with arms too long for its body made its way past their hiding place. It looked like a ghost. Silver squeaked and huddled against Maria, screaming to her in his head,_ 'DON'T LOOK AT IT!'_

Shadow seemed to get the message too. He stared at the floor and refused to look up.

The SCP stopped. Maria refused to look up.

It shuffled around for a few seconds before it began walking again, heading the way Maria had came. Shadow waited a few seconds before determining the coast was clear.

"What was that...?" Maria stuttered.

"I don't know..." Silver shuddered madly. "But it was scared. I think it didn't want people looking at its face. I don't want to see it again."

"We won't if we get a move on." Shadow pointed down the hall. "This way, Silver?"

"Yeah," Silver nodded. "I think the way out is that way."

"Alright. Warn us if we're being approached." Shadow said, walking ahead of the other two. "I can handle the fighting. Maria, see if you can find a keycard. We need one to open a door down here."

"Okay." Maria nodded.

"We should check the walls," Silver said. "Some of them are false."

"How so? If we lean on them, they'll open?" Maria asked.

"No...they're an illusion."

"How many of the walls are like that?"

"A few. Like this..." Silver walked toward the left wall and entered through it.

**XxXxXxXx**

**TO BE CONTINUED.**

**(HAHAHA!) **

**Well, now that school's out (WHOOP DE FRIGGEN DO!) I can write more and stuff. Or at least I'll try to. Metroid Prime is taking up a lot of my time lately...stupid backtracking...and also Metal Gear: Peacewalker. I still need to play that...**

** Oh, whatever. Anyway, stay tuned! More horror and adventure on the way! Remember to review!**

** Hasta la Vista, Readers!**

** Lordoftheghostking28**


	7. Chapter 6: Seven

**Chapter 6: Seven **

**XxXxXxXx **

"Okay...that just happened." Maria blinked. "He just walked through the wall."

"Why is that so surprising?" Shadow asked. "Too many other impossible things have happened in the last few hours. Why is this one a shock?"

"I don't know...you're right." Maria shook her head. "I can't lose it now..."

"Are you guys coming?" Silver whispered from the wall. "It's safe in here. Nothing around."

Maria sighed and put her hand to the wall, a bit taken aback as it went through the plaster as though nothing was there. She started walking forward.

"Be careful!" Silver warned urgently.

"What?" Shadow dropped into a fighting stance. "Is someone coming?"

"Uh..." Silver stuttered. "The ceiling is low...watch your head."

Shadow hissed in annoyance and stared down the hall again. Maria ducked and walked into the room behind the wall, closely followed by Shadow. The only light came from a dimmed bulb. There was a small shelf shoved by the far wall, papers strewn all over it.

Silver picked up one and read it over. "It's about the other SCPs. This must be their storage room."

"What's it say?" Maria asked.

"...Nothing important." he picked up another paper. "This SCP..."

"What?" Shadow asked.

"This SCP has been...'retired'. Killed." his voice shook slightly.

"What?" Maria retrieved the paper from him. Written across the top in bold red letters were the words 'DECOMISSIONED-RETIRED.'

"Why was it killed?" Shadow scanned the page over her shoulder.

"It..." Maria hesitated. "It went insane shortly after they subjected it to experiments. It doesn't say what kind. It's blacked out."

"Find files on Sonic!" Silver picked up a giant stack of paper and began going through it. "Maybe we can still help him...before he goes insane like the other SCP...!"

"It's a little too late for that, Silver." Shadow sighed.

"No, it isn't! We can help him! Right, Maria?" Silver handed her a stack of paper. "Look though this. We'll find him in no time!"

_Thunk._

The three of them stopped moving and listened. "What was that?" Maria asked softly.

There was a shuffling noise that began at a soft volume. Silver frowned. "I...I don't know who—or what—this is..."

The shuffling persisted, growing slightly louder. A voice rambled on, cracking and correcting itself. "Three, seven, two, six, five, oh nine...no...no. That's wrong...all wrong. Twenty seven, sixteen, thirty four...no...! Wrong!"

There was a thump as the possessor of the voice ran into the wall. "Subject is perfect...subject is perfect...must be perfect...Has to be!"

"I know that voice." Shadow murmured.

"Who...?" Maria whispered back.

"Seven. Seven. Seven..." the voice continued, absent-mindedly. "Seven. Perfect. Perfect number. Like the subject. Twenty nine. Thirty four. Seven."

"Sonic," Silver answered for Shadow. "He's still alive!"

"I'll go talk to him. If it's safe, I'll get you." Shadow said. He walked out of the hidden room's entryway.

There was a sharp, panicked sound as Sonic moved, surprised by the newcomer. "Perfect...? Perfect too...? Like the subject...?"

"Sonic. Do you know who I am?" Shadow said calmly and slowly.

Silver gripped Maria's arm. "All those numbers scrolling through his mind...all the codes...the memories...!"

"You're perfect too...? Like the subject?" Sonic repeated, voice cracking. "Perfect? Ul...Ultimate? Lifeform is Ultimate...?"

"Yes. At least you still remember. Do you know my name?"

"Ultimate. Seven. Lifeform. Three, seven, sixteen, twenty five..."

"My name is Shadow,"

"Sh...Sha...Ultimate...? Ultimate...not good...evil subject! Perfect evil subject!"

The sounds of battle began as Shadow and Sonic began to fight. Silver gripped Maria's arm tighter and stared with wide eyes at the entrance, listening to the fight with clenched teeth. There was a seemingly endless barrage of the sickening sound of fists connecting with flesh. Shadow eventually hissed out, "Chaos Spear!" and a flash of light made Maria blink. A whimper followed the flash. Silence for a few seconds.

"All right. Come on out." Shadow growled.

Silver let go of Maria's arm and exited the secret room. She followed shortly after, hesitant. Shadow was standing over a shivering blue form, shoe planted firmly on its back. Sonic's eyes were wide, wild and blank, darting frantically from the other hedgehog and human. His lower left eyelid twitched violently. His quills and fur were messy and too long and unkept. His ears flicked at the slightest sounds. He was deathly skinny, ribs visible even through his long yet thin fur.

"Sonic, this is Maria and Silver. Say hello," Shadow said.

"N-not perf-perfect..." Sonic whimpered. "Not perfect s-subjects..."

"Say hello, Sonic." Shadow repeated, putting a bit more pressure on his back.

"S-subjects...seven...perfect...!" Sonic sputtered. "Perfect s-s-subjects!"

"That's as close as you'll get to it, Shadow." Silver said gently.

"What did they do to him?" Maria gasped.

"Things that shouldn't be done to live beings." Shadow sighed. "And they were still experimenting on him. Look."

He removed his shoe from Sonic's back, and the blue hedgehog didn't waste a second in struggling away. Shadow knelt by him and clenched a hand around the back of his neck, forcing him back to the ground on his stomach. Sonic whimpered slightly. "Look at his left wrist." Shadow said. "They've connected him to so many IV drips they decided to put a port in him so they didn't have to inject him with a different tube every time. He's got the scars from other drips and failed attempts."

Maria picked Sonic's hand up and traced a finger over the bulge in his scarred wrist, where the plastic tube jutted out of his skin. He twitched at her touch and hissed.

"That's not all they did to him." Silver said softly. "They did something to his legs...made them stronger. He can run really fast...at the expense of the rest of him."

Maria let go of Sonic's hand. The SCP pulled his limb closer to his body and stared wildly at her, eyes twitching. Maria turned her attention to his legs, surprised to see they weren't as deprived of nutrients as the rest of him. From the waist down, he looked healthy. "He's got scars all over, too." Shadow sighed. "He's...beyond the point of saving."

"We can't just leave him..." Silver protested.

"Fifty nine, thirty, twenty eight, sixteen," Sonic muttered. "Thirty three, five, nineteen, one..."

"What does all that mean?" Maria asked.

"The codes? Don't know." Shadow shook his head. "He won't stop saying strings of numbers."

"Two...three...four...one...nine... five..." Sonic began to hesitate. "Don't know...don't know what's next! Subject has failed! Failed!"

Shadow slapped a hand over his mouth. "Shut up before someone finds us here!"

Sonic began struggling violently against the darker hedgehog, managing to escape his grasp and crawl away a short distance. Shadow landed a hard kick on his back, sending him back to the floor. Sonic curled into himself and let out a soft whine, shuddering violently. "Subject...failed...failed..."

"Shadow...don't hurt him." Maria warned.

"You're right. I suppose he can still be of use." Shadow motioned to Silver. "Pick him up and keep him quiet. If we're confronted by anything, we use him as a distraction."

"But...Shadow...!" Silver gasped.

"It's him or us. Choose. We have a better chance of escaping now."

Maria cast a look back at Sonic, who had pushed himself up in a sitting position in the corner. He hugged his knees close and went on muttering to himself, eyes unfocused and blank. "We can't just feed him to whatever is after us..."

"Would you rather one of us die? Or you? I'll be doing him a favour by getting rid of his pitiful existence." Shadow stared down the hall in front of them. "We should go now. Silver, get Sonic. Maria, come on."

Silver extended a hand toward Sonic as a soft aqua glow surrounded him and the other SCP. Sonic was lifted into the air, but he didn't seem to notice. He continued to stare blankly ahead, whispering to himself.

"Shadow...It's harder for me to detect enemies when I'm focusing on this..." Silver warned. "I might not be able to see them before it's too late."

"I'll keep watch." Maria promised. "Besides, we still need a keycard, don't we?"

"Yeah," Silver nodded.

"Two things to keep a lookout for, then..." Maria shrugged.

Shadow stopped walking and motioned for the others to do the same.

"What is it?" Silver asked in barely more than a whisper.

"Be quiet..." Shadow muttered as he walked over to the left wall and passed through it. Maria didn't dare breathe. It was silent for a few seconds before Shadow reappeared, motioning for them to follow.

"Wait...before you do...be warned." he said. "There are guards. Dead. I don't know what killed them, but I think whatever it was is gone."

Maria nodded. "Okay."

Silver gave a weak smile, but it was replaced with fear. "Yeah...I don't sense anything..."

Maria followed Shadow into the wall. What she saw she wasn't prepared for. A guard was strung from the middle of the ceiling by what looked like his intestines. His ribs were torn open, his organs rearranged or gone completely. His heart was shoved in his broken jaw. One eye was gorged out. Maria thought she was going to gag on the bloody smell.

"What...what happened to him? It looks like whatever it was tore him open as though expecting to find something!"

"What I don't understand is how he's strung up like that." Shadow sighed. "It's as though his entrails were fused into the ceiling."

"I don't want to look." Maria stared at her shoes and turned around. "Come on, Silver. Let's get out of here."

"This room is a tunnel." Shadow said. "I believe it will lead somewhere important. It was blocked by the invisible wall, after all."

"Yeah." Silver squeaked.

"How come we haven't found these secret hallways or rooms before? I've run into many walls...I'm clumsy, okay?...and I've never found anything before." Maria asked.

"There might have been a door when the power was back on." Silver suggested. "But when it went out, it took the security latches off, and now it's fair game."

"These guards must have thought it was still safe." Shadow said.

"Guards? As in, more than one?" Maria gulped.

"Further down the hallway, there are more casualties." Shadow informed in a low tone. "None of them have identical means of death. But one thing remains the same. They all have their heart in their mouth."

"That's awful..." Silver whispered.

"We have to ignore it and keep moving." Maria said. She forced herself to look at the guard strung from the ceiling. At his belt he had a gun and a wallet, which she quickly unlatched. She handed the weapon to Shadow and began leafing through the wallet.

"Found a keycard." she reported, holding up a yellow and black card. "And Shadow, you may want the gun. Just in case."

He nodded. "It could come in handy."

"Let's just move..." Silver suggested. He levitated Sonic around the body. The blue hedgehog didn't flinch at the sight of death, even though he was staring right at it. The three of them plus Sonic continued down the hall, Maria trying to refrain from looking at the dead men and Silver focusing on guiding Sonic around the twists and turns of the passage. Shadow held the gun steady and lead on.

"I wonder if Patrick is still alive," Silver said in barely more than a whisper.

"Why? He did awful things to you." Shadow hissed. "I wouldn't care if that bastard is dead. If he's alive...I'd like to personally shoot him."

"I think it'd be best if we conserve the ammo," Maria said. "I have a feeling we're going to need it."

**XxXxXxXx**

**Sorry for the late chapter and stuff. I had a load of crap going on.**

**But the good news is my iPod is updated!**

**Bad news is I wasted 48 hard-to-come-by dollars on a driving test I FAILED before I got out of the parking lot. Fucking thing. **

**Now I have no money. **

**Anyway, more story on the way. Remember to review.**

**Hasta la Vista, Readers.**

**Lordoftheghostking28**


	8. Chapter 7: Can't See

**Chapter 7: Can't See**

**XxXxXxXx**

The tunnel lead to a door that required a keypass to open. Maria held up the keycard triumphantly and slipped it into the scanner. The door beeped and a tiny light flashed green. The internal latches disengaged.

"I don't sense anything beyond the door." Silver said. "Nothing's there...nothing alive, anyway."

"Good to know." Maria turned the handle and pushed the door open.

Shadow turned his back as she did so, watching the hallway behind them for signs of movement. Maria's scream made him spin back around, right hand crackling with energy, to see her pushed to the ground by a security guard. Shadow jumped and slammed his shoe into the guard's head, knocking him easily off the girl. He didn't move.

"Sorry...!" Maria gasped.

"You're hurt!" Silver stared, wide eyed.

Maria followed his gaze to her stomach, where red had pooled. She shook her head. "It's not mine."

"She's fine, Silver. The man was already dead." Shadow stood over the body of the dead guard. "He must have died standing against the door."

"Did he die like the others?" Silver asked in a quiet tone.

"Heart shoved into the mouth. His jaw's nearly broken off, though. I don't think the others were like that...I think broken ribs puncturing his lungs are what killed him."

"So whatever kills these people waits for them to die before...rearranging their insides?" Maria grimaced.

"It appears so," Shadow nodded.

Silver set Sonic down and stared down the new hallway. "I don't think anything's there...we can continue on."

"I can't see."

The three of them froze. Maria cast a scared glance at Shadow, who passed the look on to Silver. The white hedgehog's ears flicked and he frowned in thought.

"Do you know who said that?" Maria hissed.

"Yeah...but I can't believe it..." Silver's gaze fell on Sonic.

"I can't see," the SCP repeated, a bit softer this time.

"I didn't know he still had the mental capacity to make sense." Shadow dropped the defensive stance.

Maria knelt by Sonic and tipped his head up to face her with a finger under his jaw. "Can...can you say anything else...?"

"I can't see," he repeated, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I know it's dark in here, but there's enough light to—"

"I can't see."

Maria tilted his head back a bit more and waved her hand in front of his face. Sonic didn't blink. He just continued to stare blankly in front of him.

"I can't see."

"He's blind..." Maria whispered.

"That would explain a great many things." Shadow said.

Maria snapped her fingers in a line, watching as Sonic's ears swiveled to follow the sound. He faced the direction of the sound, but his eyes couldn't pinpoint the source. "I can't..."

"Come on, Maria...we have to keep moving." Silver said in a worried tone. He picked Sonic up in a cocoon of psychokinesis and guided him into the new hall.

Maria stood and followed.

Sonic squirmed a bit, suspended in the air, and declared again, "I can't see. I...can't see. Can't. Can't. Five, six, thirteen, twenty six. See. Five, two, three, one, seventeen. See...Subject is perfect."

"I feel sorry for him," Maria sighed.

"Don't be. He's just a mindless animal repeating what he heard." Shadow muttered.

"What was he like before they did this to him...?"

"He was fearless. A fighter." Shadow said bluntly. "And now he's a pitiful creature without a reason to live."

Maria stared down at her shoes as she walked. "I want to get out of here more than ever now."

"That makes two of us." Shadow sighed.

Silver pointed to a door up ahead. "There's a lot of electricity through there...maybe it's a control room."

"Let's check it out." Shadow said. "Maybe we can restore a bit more than the emergency lights...contain some more dangerous SCPs, if we're lucky."

Maria nodded and opened the door with the keycard. They stepped into a small room with stairs leading upward. She took the lead. "Come on."

Shadow followed close by, fists clenched. Silver guided Sonic up and set him on the upper floor. The SCP drew his legs closer to his body and rocked back and fourth, muttering quietly.

"All right...let's see what we can do here..." Maria said. She walked over to a control panel and flicked a few switches. The lights came back on and the emergency ones dimmed. "Well, that was a bit easier than expected..."

"Everything's switched off." Silver frowned. "The source of the trouble is here. Someone got in here and turned it all off. It's impossible to blow a fuse in this kind of place..."

"Can you sense anything?" Shadow asked, placing his gun on a nearby generator.

"An angry presence. Someone was mad..." He shut his eyes in concentration. "I'm not entirely sure if they were human or not. Actually...I'm not sure if they were..."

"Were what?" Shadow prompted.

"If...if they were physical or not. I can't tell if they had a true form..."

"So an SCP got in here?" Maria asked.

"Yeah. I think so..." Silver nodded. He pointed to a row of fuse boxes. "The third one from me is the one whoever it was turned off first."

Maria turned her attention to it. It was easy to spot...the metal cover had been bashed open. It hung by one hinge, exposing sparking wires. A cluster of mutilated switches and wiring lay nearby it on the ground.

"You mean destroyed?" Shadow sighed.

"None of the others are harmed...only switched off." Maria reported. "Is this creeping anyone else out?"

"Soon."

The three turned their attention to Sonic, who was staring at the wall. His lips twitched in a fleeting smile. He raised his arm and pressed his hand against the wall. "Soon."

"This is creeping me out." Silver's voice shook slightly.

"Soon," Sonic said again. His hand fell from the wall's surface.

"What does he mean?" Maria asked, a worried expression on her face.

"He could mean anything." Shadow said.

"Let's just get back to work and restore the power."

"Wait...I don't think we should." Silver said.

"Why not?"

"We'd seal up the secret tunnels and rooms in the walls. We don't know how to get to them, right? We need them to stay open."

"Good point." Shadow sighed. "So what do we do? Just leave them all off?"

"Yeah. I think." Silver switched off a few of the ones they had turned on. The control panel sparked harshly, startling him into leaping backward violently with a small yelp.

"Whoa, relax," Maria said. "You scared me."

"S...sorry..." Silver stuttered. "Um...can you turn off the others...? I don't wanna...I'm going to check on Sonic..." He stumbled back toward the other SCP.

"What was that about?" Maria asked Shadow.

The dark SCP sighed and hesitated, switching off the rest of the lights. Sparks leapt around his fingers. "Silver...hates anything to do with fire."

"Why?" Maria cast the lighter hedgehog a glance as he sat nearby Sonic.

"He went through a lot when he was younger." Shadow sighed. "I know I said he should tell you this, but I get the feeling he won't want to retell. It was hard enough for him to tell me."

Maria looked back at Shadow and sighed. "Go on."

"His parents were killed in a fire that spread halfway across his land. Many died along with them, and he was left alone. He had to fend for himself for years...until she found him."

"Who?" Maria asked.

"Her name was Blaze. She found him dying of hunger, unable to defend himself, infested with disease...and she took him in and nursed him back to health. He looked up to her like a big sister...in a way, they were family. They were all they had."

Silver was speaking to Sonic in a gentle voice, the blue SCP listening intensely. "What happened to her?" Maria asked at last.

"She was killed," Shadow sighed. "In a similar fire that claimed Silver's parents. Silver barely escaped this one...he had tried to save her. He still has nightmares of her dying in front of him...terrible nightmares."

Sonic had curled into a ball, still listening to Silver as he spoke. "I can't imagine..." Maria sighed. "It's hard to believe he went though that...he hides it so well."

Silver glanced at them and stood. "Did you get all the switches?"

"Yeah. We should go." Maria said. "We need to keep moving."

Sonic's eyes widened and he sat up, staring at the staircase. "Here," he muttered in a soft voice. "Here..."

"What does he mean by that...?" Maria asked, voice shaking.

"I can't see. Soon. Here. Can't see." Sonic said. "Here soon. Soon. Can't see."

Silver stumbled back against the wall as though he had been pushed from the front. "Someone's coming!"

Shadow jumped up and over to the stairs, energy crackling around his hands and lighting up the small room. "No one's there. Maria shut the door as we came up here. They can't get up without a keyca–"

BANG.

Maria jumped and grappled with the gun Shadow had set on the generator earlier. Silver went still and Sonic didn't seem to notice.

"Silver, ask him what's down there." Shadow demanded.

"Can't see. Can't see." Sonic said. "Can't. I can't see. Five, fifteen, thirty, sixty two..."

"Sonic, what's down there? What's coming to get us?!" Silver whispered, fear clinging to every word. "I can't sense it...!"

"Can't see." Sonic said. "I can't see."

BANG.

Maria gripped the gun and stood by Shadow. "Whatever it is, it's not getting far." She said.

"Sonic, please! Tell us!" Silver begged.

"I can't see." Sonic repeated. "I can't."

BANG.

The door vibrated from the force.

"Sonic, it's getting closer! If you want to live, tell us!"

"Subject is not perfect. Subject has failed. I can't see. Fifteen, six, one hundred..."

BANG.

The door flew open. Maria closed her eyes and shot, the recoil making her step back slightly. Shadow threw a Chaos Spear that lit up the hallway.

No one was there.

"Holy shit..." Maria gasped. "What the hell was that...?! Where is the thing..?!"

Silver joined them, knees shaking madly. "I don't know...Can we leave...?"

"Something was definitely there..." Shadow muttered.

Maria whipped around, gun at the ready. Nothing was behind them. "Well, SCP-173 is ruled out... Did anyone blink...?"

"No," Shadow growled, staring at the dark, opened door at the stair's landing.

A gagging, choking sound made them all turn. "SONIC!" Silver screamed. Shadow held him back as he attempted to run to the other SCP.

"Don't touch him!"

Maria gasped. Sonic's jaws were forced open to their limit. He was clawing viciously at his throat, unable to breathe.

He was choking on what appeared to be solid darkness.

"What's going on?!" Silver shouted.

Maria shakily aimed the pistol at Sonic, unable to do anything as he fell onto his side, kicking out feebly. His thrashings and struggles became weaker as his eyes rolled into his head. The darkness forced itself deeper down his throat, nearly completely out of sight. Sonic twitched violently and went still. The darkness vanished inside of him.

"What the hell was that?" Shadow hissed.

"Sonic!" Silver wailed. "No! Shadow, I could have saved him!"

"Stop it, Silver." Shadow growled.

"What do we do now?" Maria asked.

"We get the hell out of here." Shadow pushed Silver to the stairs.

"LOOK!" The lighter hedgehog shouted, pointing back to Sonic.

Maria followed his gaze and almost screamed.

Sonic had pushed himself onto his hands and knees and was struggling to stand. His fur had darkened to black except for a few streaks on his quills that were beginning to turn upright. With the sound of straining ice, crystals sprouted from his fur and skin, ripping through his gloves and shoes. His mouth shut and his lips were sown with crystal. The whites of his eyes turned bright pink, veins popping. His green irises turned a violent shade of lime.

Maria shot twice, forcing Sonic back to the ground. He groaned, but continued to stand. "Do you think that will stop me?" he asked in a deeper voice not of his own.

"What happened?! What did you do to Sonic?!" Silver shouted.

"Sonic" laughed, standing and swaying on his feet. "Is that the mortal's name? Well then...he is my host. His broken mind is no longer. He has passed on."

"No...!" Silver cried. "You didn't have to kill him...!"

"Who are you?" Shadow growled.

"Sonic" laughed again; a cold, chilling laugh. "I am Mephiles. Mephiles the Dark."

**XxXxXxXx**

**Haaaaa bet you didn't see that coming!**

**Anyway, here's another chapter and stuff! Hope you liked! **

**Remember to review! **

**Hasta la Vista, Readers! **

**Lordoftheghostking28 **


	9. Chapter 8: So We Meet Again

**Chapter 8: So We Meet Again**

**XxXxXxXx**

Maria quickly shot twice more, forcing Mephiles back to his knees with a groan. "EVERYONE! MOVE!"

Shadow pulled Silver down the stairs, Maria right on their heels. They tore around the exit of the room and she slammed the keycard into the slot. The doors shut.

"Move!" Shadow hissed.

The three of them ran into another hall, hardly caring to keep quiet or watch their surroundings. Maria was nearly to another door when Shadow grabbed the back of her prison jumpsuit, making her slide to a stop.

"What?! What is it?!" She demanded.

"Look..." Silver pointed to the ground, where metal plating was placed. A spark darted across it.

"It's electrified...?" Maria gasped.

"Yes." Shadow said. "We have to time it perfectly if we are to live."

A bang at the end of the hall made Silver jump and spin around. "G...guys...?!"

"On three..." Shadow said.

"Guys...?! SCP-173!"

Maria whipped around and screamed. The monster was directly in front of her, stubby arms inches from her shoulders. Her eyes were frozen open with fear. She felt Shadow take her arms and pull her over the metal plating, safely to the other side.

"Don't blink!" She shouted. "Don't blink!"

"Keep moving, Maria! I'll guide you!" Shadow said.

Maria forced her feet to move backwards as Shadow lead her quickly down the hall. As they rounded a corner, SCP-173 vanished. She allowed herself to blink once. It didn't return.

"That was too close..." Silver's voice wavered.

The three of them ducked into a small room lit by a single emergency light. Maria sat on the ground heavily, legs shaking violently.

"Let's wait a few minutes. In case it comes around here." Shadow said.

"Or...or Mephiles..." Silver stuttered. "Why did he have to do that to Sonic...?"

Shadow didn't say a word he stared out down the hall, unblinking. He finally sighed and spoke. "It's better for him. He was insane."

Silver cast his gaze to the ground and tried to not let his hands shake as he picked at his boot. "But...he didn't have to die..."

"Mephiles killed him?" Maria asked.

"Yeah...it was quick..." the light SCP shuddered. "But Sonic still felt it. I...I feel sorry for him."

"Don't be. Focus on the time at hand, Silver. We need to keep moving," Shadow said. "The coast is clear."

Maria put a hand on Silver's shoulder. "Come on..."

He nodded and shrugged her off, following the other two down the hallway. "Uh...there's a large room to the left, and then there's a series of doors to the right. No one's in there..."

"Which one?" Shadow asked.

"I think going right leads us upward. If we find a window or something, we can get out."

"Then we'll go that way." Maria said.

Silver nodded. "But we should hurry...! Something's following us...!"

Shadow pushed Maria ahead of him and glanced down the hall they left behind. "I'll watch our backs. You two worry about what's ahead of us."

"Do you want the gun back?" Maria asked.

"No, you keep it."

"Allright. Thanks."

They walked through an abandoned computer lab, papers strewn over the floors. A few monitors were flickering, casting an eerie glow over the room. Maria quickly shut the doors behind them. "Right...what's up ahead...?"

"A few really small rooms..." Silver shut his eyes. "And..."

"And what?" Shadow asked.

"Well...I think someone's alive down there...!"

"One of the guards?" Maria attempted to open the door, but it denied her.

"I can't tell...but whoever it is is in pain..."

Maria inserted the keycard and tried again. It still wouldn't open. "We need a higher level access card."

"Unfortunately, we don't have that." Shadow sighed.

"Then we can't get through." Silver said. "These locks...they are extremely well made. I can't do anything about it, and force won't make it open. They're especially designed in case of a breakout, like now."

"Is the other door I shut behind us enough to keep everything out?" Maria asked.

"Not everyone."

The three of them turned, hearts pounding, to find Mephiles standing nearby the locked door on the other side of the room. "I have my ways around this place."

"Why are you following us?" Silver backed up slightly.

"Well, you see..." the SCP began. "I need a stronger host. This mortal will suffice for a while longer, but after his body fails even in death, I will be shapeless once again."

"And one of us is your ideal host?" Shadow snarled.

"Why, yes, actually..." Mephiles staggered toward them. "You are the strongest."

"No!" Silver cried. "You won't hurt Shadow, or Maria! Go away!"

Mephiles threw back his head and laughed. "Do you really think the words of a weak runt will stop me?"

Silver glared and clenched his fists.

"You amuse me. I'll be sure to give you a long, painful, searing death..." A purple sphere formed in his open hand, lighting up the room in a flickering dazzle. "But first, I require a new host." He threw the sphere at Shadow.

Maria reacted instantly and stepped in front of him, diving to one knee and aiming the gun. She shot twice, and the sphere exploded.

"Maria! No!"

She was thrown to the side, dazed but unhurt. The smoking remains of the gun lay next to her. She chuckled nervously. "Heh...that was close...!"

Mephiles staggered. "You dare to interfere, human? I still have enough energy to blow you to pieces!"

"You will do no such thing!" Shadow faced him.

"Ah, shall we settle this?" Mephiles sneered.

"I will destroy you for what you've done...to Sonic, and to everyone else in this facility."

Mephiles laughed again. "You think I was the one who killed the guards?"

"But...what did...?" Silver asked.

"I wouldn't spend so much of my energy on those worthless maggots. They were dead when I found them. Of course, I was desperate for a host...but they rejected me, as weak as their dead forms were."

"What killed them?" Maria growled, standing shakily again.

"That I cannot say," Mephiles said. "But I am the reason their hearts were ripped from their chests. When I take a host, I root myself in their center, and for humans, that happens to be their heart. I am rejected, and I rip out their center."

Silver shuddered slightly. Maria glanced at the door, and then back at the light SCP. "Silver...?"

"Enough talk. Let's end this." Shadow's fists crackled with Chaos Energy.

"You cannot hope to win." Mephiles sneered.

With a flash of light, the fighting began.

"What?" Silver turned to Maria, casting worried looks at the fighters.

"Can you modify the keycard? I think that will be enough to fool the scanner!"

Shadow punched Mephiles' head back and brought a knee up into his stomach, making him double over. He then delivered his other knee into his face, knocking him back.

"Over already...?" Shadow sneered. "You're not even a worthy opponent!"

Mephiles staggered. " 'Over already'? I'm just getting started." He moved faster than Shadow suspected he could and slammed his fist into the other SCP's chest. Shadow lost his balance and fell, Mephiles wrestling him to the ground.

"Yeah...! Yeah, I think so!" Silver tore himself away from watching the fight and retrieved the card from Maria. He glanced at the scanner and began melting part of the card with his psychokinesis, reforming it delicately.

"Good job. Keep it up." Maria glanced at the two fighting SCPs. "Come on, Shadow...kick that creep's ass..."

The two fighters rolled along the ground, kicking and punching at each other. Shadow eventually threw Mephiles to the other side of the room with a blast of energy, sending the SCP crashing into the wall. Shadow stood and grabbed a chair, flinging it at the other as he tried to stand again.

"You fight well." Mephiles hissed, blocking the chair from striking him with another sphere of energy. The chair imploded, reducing itself to a tiny ball. Mephiles hit it with another sphere of energy, sending it rocketing at Shadow with the speed of a bullet.

He managed to duck, and the projectile hit the wall with a deafening bang, leaving no mark.

Silver jumped at the sound but continued working.

Maria had unplugged one of the computer monitors and had it in her arms, struggling with its weight. "Damn old technology..." She spun around to gain momentum and tossed it, striking Mephiles's legs with a snap and a crunch, knocking him to the ground.

The demon howled and struggled to push the monitor off his legs, glass and metals speared into his body. Shadow jumped into the air and delivered a hard kick to his head, downing him for a few seconds.

"Now...you've made me angry." Mephiles growled.

With a flash of energy, the glass and computer monitor were flung in all directions. Maria shielded her face, feeling glass dig into her arms. Mephiles stood and with unmatched speed, wrapped a fist around Shadow's neck. He slammed the other SCP into the wall.

Shadow gasped for breath, kicking and clawing at his enemy. Mephiles laughed and increased the pressure on his windpipe, wrenching a wheezing sound from his prey. "Your move," he sneered.

"Shadow...!" Silver cried.

"I got this...work on the keycard! The sooner, the better!" Maria hissed as she grabbed another monitor.

Mephiles slammed Shadow's head into the wall a few times, satisfied to feel his opponent's struggling grow weaker. Shadow's eyes began to roll back into his head.

"That's right...submit to death...drown in darkness...!" Mephiles laughed.

Maria slammed the monitor down on his head, making him release Shadow. The abused SCP slumped to the ground.

"I got it!" Silver cried. He inserted the keycard into the slot and the doors opened.

"Go!" Maria cried, retrieving Shadow and running to the doors.

Mephiles crawled out from under the wreckage of the monitor and screamed, "STOP!"

Maria didn't look back. Silver shut the doors and they ran.

**XxXxXxXx**

"We should be safe here."

"Are you sure?"

Maria pulled open a door to a supply closet and stepped in. "I'm sure. Just for a few minutes."

The tiny room was mostly empty save for a few mops and buckets. Maria lay Shadow down and supported his head in her lap.

"Is...is he ok?" Silver asked. "He seems allright...but it's always been hard to tell with him."

"He'll be fine." Maria said. "He's just got a few bruises...I think. I heard something crunch during the battle...I couldn't tell if that was him or Mephiles."

Shadow's arm twitched and he drew in a deep breath, wincing in pain. He opened his eyes slightly. "Wh...what happened...?"

"Maria slammed a computer over Mephiles' head and we got out." Silver said.

"Agh..." Shadow sat up, rubbing at his neck. "It hurts to breathe..."

"That's understandable." Maria shrugged. "Just take it easy."

"He broke some ribs..." Shadow continued, gingerly placing a hand at his side. "Agh..."

"Shadow, stay still, ok?" Silver said, shuffling closer to him. "I'm going to heal you."

"What? No. Save your strength for when we really need it." He attempted to stand, but his knee gave out and he fell back down with a hiss of pain.

"You do really need it." Maria insisted.

"..." Shadow sighed. "Fine."

Silver put a hand to his side and neck, making him wince slightly. A soft glow surrounded them both, lighting up the supply room.

"Agh!" Shadow tried to pull away, but Maria grabbed his arms and held him in place. She could feel his ribs grinding in his side even through his arms. Shadow twisted and struggled madly, biting back shouts of pain.

"Almost there..." Silver said. Shadow writhed and nearly broke out of Maria's grasp as something snapped back into place. He began to calm as Silver's aura faded.

"Okay. That's all I can do." Silver panted.

Shadow nodded. "Thanks," he muttered through gritted teeth.

"Can you both keep going?" Maria asked.

"Yeah. But...don't you want that glass out of your arms first?" Silver pointed to her sleeves, which were soaked in blood.

"Can you spare the power?"

"Yeah. Hold still." Silver grabbed her arms and his aura pulsed around them both. Maria grit her teeth as the glass was removed from her skin, bit by bit.

"There." Silver said at last, kicking the shards into a corner. "Now we're good to go. I...um...can't see what's outside the door right now, but I think it's clear."

"You used too much power, didn't you." Shadow growled.

"I had to help you!" He protested.

"It doesn't matter. We can make it. Ready?" Maria asked.

"Yeah." Silver nodded.

She opened the door and came face to face with someone she hoped to be dead.

"Hello, Maria," said Agent Patrick Yeul. A gun was aimed at her forehead.

**XxXxXxXx**

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**Ok, this is the last chapter for maybe two weeks, because I'm going to Cincinnati Ohio and I don't know if there'll be WiFi. If there is, there will be more chapters. If not, sorry...you're gonna have to wait till about next Monday or so.**

**Remeber to Review!**

**Hasta la Vista, Readers!**

**Lordoftheghostking28**


	10. Chapter 9: Unlocked

**Chapter 9: Unlocked**

**XxXxXxXx**

**It is very hard to type on an iPod on a school bus. Just so you all know.**

**XxXxXxXx**

"Hello, Patrick," Maria growled.

"Put the gun down," Shadow hissed.

Patrick laughed. "Or what? I'll shoot you dead before you know what happened. I'm a great shot."

"I'm sure you are," Shadow spat, fangs barred.

"What do you want?" Silver asked.

"I want what you want," Patrick said calmly. "To get out of here alive."

No one said anything. Maria backed away from the gun slightly. "Then why are you acting like you're going to kill us?"

"I need your help." Patrick said.

"So aim a gun at someone's head. Brilliant."

"I'm not who you think I am."

"Then who are you? Beside the evil, twisted, scumbag?"

Patrick laughed. "I, too, am a prisoner...and a SCP."

Maria blinked. "Well, what did they do to you?"

Another laugh. "I am the result of experimentation and failure. They were testing things on me...to see if two consciousnesses could exist in the same body. My partner...the other they used in the experiments...went mad. He was locked inside my mind. He is the side you know to be cruel. Evil. A scumbag, as you put it, Maria."

"But..." Silver stuttered. "But...you're empty! You don't have an aura at all...like the guards! None of you have auras! I have to work hard to sense you!"

"Two spirits in one body is a terrible thing. It kills you from the inside out. Truth is...I'm dying." Patrick lowered the gun and put it in a holster. "But before I do leave this world perminantly...I want to see it. I haven't been outside S.C.P. in years...ever since they caught me at the scene of a murder."

"Let me guess...you are innocent," Maria crossed her arms.

"I do not deny I am guilty." Patrick glared. "I killed her...in cold blood. I was only seventeen."

Silver's ears twitched and he glanced down the hall. "Something's coming..."

"Then let's go." Maria motioned for him to follow.

"Maria, please...let me go with you." Patrick pleaded.

The prisoner turned and gave him a long look. "I'm sorry. No."

"Hurry!" Silver urgently whispered.

Shadow took the lead and silently ran down the hallway to the opposite door. Maria and Silver followed. They vanished from Patrick's sight as he stood, almost rooted to the spot.

Someone walked up behind him.

"It is good to finally have your own body back, isn't it?"

"Yes," Patrick said curtly.

"Good. Now, if you wish to escape from here alive, I want you to kill them. In any way you seem fit. Just dispose of them."

"I didn't tell them who you were." Patrick said. "I could have. But I didn't."

"Good..." The voice purred. "Now...on with it."

**XxXxXxXx**

"I sense a large room up ahead...a few hallways...stairs..." Silver shut his eyes for a few seconds. "A hallway with a lot of doors, and then a door that's different than the rest. It's got a different keycard slot...and a retinal scan."

"That's the way out." Maria grinned. "I remember it when they brought me in here!"

"And we need not worry about the retinal scan...the power's knocked out." Shadow said.

"Let's go, guys!" Silver ran ahead, causing Maria and Shadow to follow closely.

"Wait!" Maria whispered.

Silver stopped and looked back impatiently. "Come on!"

"Can you sense anything...or anyone...?" Maria continued.

"No...! Hurry! We have to move!" Silver insisted.

They had reached another door. Silver pointed to the keycard slot. "It should open with the keycard I modified."

Maria slid it in with a click. The latch deactivated, and light spilled out around the edges of the door, making the group blink furiously and back up slightly.

"Well, what do you know," Shadow was the first to recover. "Another control room. The main one, I presume."

"Yeah..." Silver squinted. "Quick! Maybe we can use this to our advantage!"

"Maybe..." Maria walked in.

Rows of monitors were stacked along the left wall, keyboards and buttons built in underneath them. Random pieces of technology and equipment was spread throughout the room's floor and tabletops. It looked as though the place had been ransacked.

Shadow shut and latched the door. "The screens...Silver, can you find the one closest to the exit?"

The light SCP nodded and motioned to the last monitor. "This is aimed at the door."

The camera was pointed down the hall at a door. The door was unlike the others they had encountered so far, as this one looked sturdier and heavier. A panel was set into the metal, most likely the retina scanner. A keycard slot was also waiting nearby it.

"Hmmm..." Maria squinted at the screen.

"What?" Silver asked.

"I think the scanner's operative. There's a little green light on next to it..."

"No...it's not operative..." Shadow joined her side. "It's already been activated. It's already open."

"So...all we have to do is run for it?" Silver said in a worried voice.

"It would appear so."

**XxXxXxXx**

**This chapter brought to you by 10+ hours of riding on a school bus to Ohio. Wheee.**

**Sorry this is so short. The ending is coming soon. **

**Remember to review! **

**Hasta la Vista, Readers! **

**Lordoftheghostking28 **


	11. Chapter 10: Restart

**Chapter 10: Restart**

**XxXxXxXx**

"This is too good to be true..." Maria muttered.

"If it is open...who knows how many SCPs escaped?" Silver joined her and Shadow at the screen. "They could be waiting outside!"

"This has got 'trap' written all over it..." Shadow muttered.

"That may be so...but what other option do we have? There's only one way in and out. Through that door." Maria sighed. "And besides...we can handle everything that's thrown at us, right?"

"Yeah," Silver gulped.

"Wouldn't you rather have freedom sooner than later?" She continued, giving a small smile.

"Yeah...!" Silver returned the grin.

"Then let's go!"

"Yeah!" Silver hurried to the door. "Come on, guys!" He shut his eyes briefly and announced, "I can't sense anyone...!"

"What are you doing?" Shadow hissed at Maria as Silver poked his head out the door. "Why are you urging him to run into certain death?"

"Even death would be like a freedom from this place," Maria responded, voice low. "I figured any way this played out...we win."

Shadow gave a short nod. "For you and me, maybe. But for him...? He's a child. He shouldn't have had to live through the horrors he was put through. No one should go through that torture. He needs to live, Maria. He doesn't deserve to die yet."

Silver slipped out the door and motioned to them to follow. "Hurry!" He whispered.

Maria gave a heavy sigh and followed closely, Shadow on her heels. They crept though a short hallway and up a flight of stairs.

It was looking as though they would make it.

"Just up those stairs is the door!" Silver squeaked with excitement. He ran a bit faster, reaching the final flight of stairs well before the other two.

"Silver!" Shadow growled. "Wait!"

The light SCP stopped in the middle of the stairs. "Come on!"

"Wait for us!" Maria began the climb up.

"You guys are slow! At this rate, the power'll come back on before you get up here!" Silver said.

Shadow growled curses. "Lower your voice,"

"Okay. But h—"

One second, the SCP was fine, and the next...

"SILVER!" Maria tripped and fell heavily. "NO!"

Dark tendrils curled around his wrists and ankles and dragged him down on the steps. He struggled violently, glowing a fierce aqua. The weaker tendrils fizzled out, but stronger ones took their place, wrapping around his legs and arms. Silver managed to cry out in pain before more tendrils wrapped around his throat and chest, squeezing the air out of his voice and lungs.

"SILVER!" Shadow roared, taking the stairs three at a time to reach the trapped hedgehog.

Another tendril rose and connected with his stomach, knocking him to the base of the stairs.

Maria had her gun clutched shakily in her hands and aimed at Silver.

"Oooh, so close to freedom..." A dark voice purred. "And yet, so far."

Silver let out a strangled choke and shuddered violently. Maria took a few steps up.

"The enemy is not there, stupid girl,"

She spun around to the steps behind her and rage filled her face. "Mephiles...!"

The demon was standing on the first step, eyes fixed on Shadow, who was a few steps higher. His arms had grown to reach the floor, where they branched off and snaked up the stairs, pinning Silver.

The SCP laughed. "I'm glad you haven't forgotten me."

Shadow threw a punch at his head, fist crackling with energy. Mephiles sidestepped with surprising speed, countering with another tendril of darkness. The force of a hammer slammed into Shadow's side, sending him flying to the ground with a hiss of pain.

"AAAAAAAAAHH!" Maria screamed, shooting twice.

Mephiles recoiled from the shots and lashed out at her, striking her across the face and sending her tumbling down the stairs. The gun clattered into the darkness.

Mephiles laughed. "Pitiful! Either I have unexpectedly gotten stronger, or you have weakened!"

Silver uttered a squeak and struggled again, unable to escape. His aqua aura was dying out. Mephiles roared with laughter again and the darkness binding the SCP tightened and pressed him into the stairs, digging his spine into the concrete. Silver opened his mouth in a silent scream.

"Oh...? Can't find your voice?" Mephiles' eyes were blazing with insanity. "Let's find it, shall we?"

A rope of darkness detached itself from around Silver's wrist and snaked up to his jaw. Silver gasped in a small breath of air before the darkness jammed itself down his throat. The light SCP struggled with a new intensity, blue glow slightly stronger.

"Silver!" Maria screamed. The place where Mephiles had struck her was burning. Her eyes were watering with pain, fury and fear; obscuring and distorting her vision. She rushed at the demon and aimed for his eyes.

"No, Maria!" Shadow shouted.

Mephiles caught her around the throat and threw her headfirst onto the steps. Maria's senses dulled; sound became silenced, her eyes weren't working, and the pain she knew she had to be feeling wasn't registering. Something was shaking her shoulder.

Sound began to return, but it was as though it was coming at her through a tunnel.

"Maria!"

She blinked, and made out Shadow's face above her. One of his hands was resting on her shoulder, the other clasped tightly over his side. He winced and sank to his knees. "Get up!"

He clasped something cold and metal into her hand. The gun...that's right.

Pain was beginning to return in the form of a terrible, splitting headache. Maria blinked and willed it away. She tried to stand.

"Take it easy..." Shadow warned.

"Silver needs help," Maria growled. She raised the gun and took aim briefly at the glowing pink and green that was Mephiles' eyes.

She shot, and her target exploded.

Mephiles screamed, falling down the stairs and writhing in pain. The tendrils that were strangling and crushing Silver lifted.

Maria grabbed Shadow's hand and pulled him up the stairs. Her balance was thrown off, and she had to use her other hand to steady herself from running into the wall. Mephiles' screams were still registering in her ringing ears. She felt something warm running down the side of her face.

"Silver!" Shadow stooped by the smaller SCP. "Are you all right?!"

Silver gave a tiny wheeze in reply. He coughed, blood trickling out the side of his mouth. He attempted to sit up, falling back to the step with a short cry.

"Don't move. We'll get you out of here..." Shadow ignored his broken side and picked him up, gritting his teeth in pain. Silver winced slightly, eyes struggling to focus on Maria's face.

"Bl...blood..." he rasped. "Heal..."

He reached out a hand toward her head, but Maria drew away. "No, save your strength. Heal yourself. That's an order."

Silver cast a worried glance down the stairs. The screams had dulled down. "Meph..."

"I know..." Maria aimed her gun at the dark shape standing at the stair's landing.

The eye she had shot had reformed, although not as perfectly. It was dulled, with the area the bullet had struck sunken in. He slowly began walking up the stairs, eyes glowing in different intensities with fury. "Well, we've had our fun. Now it is time for you to die."

The three of them backed up as Maria shot, missing her mark by centimeters. The force knocked Mephiles back slightly, but not enough to stop him.

"Patrick, would you like to do the honors?" Mephiles purred.

Footsteps approached the stairs as the agent walked up, gun in hand. He joined Mephiles' side, a distant and sad look in his eyes.

"Shoot one. I don't care which."

Patrick stared at the group. His weapon wavered in his grasp. He lowered his head and whispered, "Forgive me."

He turned the gun on himself and shot through his mouth. Maria thought she screamed as his brains exploded out the back of his skull, coating the stairs in a gory shower. He collapsed, dead.

Mephiles laughed, escalating into maniacal hysteria. "You fool!" He stumbled. "You stupid, mislead fool! Do you think that will make me reconsider? You just saved me the time of killing you!"

Maria put a hand on Shadow's shoulder and gave a gentle push. He began backing up the stairs, toward the exit. She followed. They kept their sights on Mephiles, who was still laughing.

"Now that you're dead...ha ha! I can have all the fun myself! I ...ha ha...! Don't know why I allowed you to shoot them in the first place! You were useless from the start! Ha!"

"Run for it," Maria hissed. "Hurry. I'm right behind you."

Shadow nodded. Silver gave a soft cough and began glowing a soft aqua, the light covering both him and Shadow. "O...okay...this...should protect us..."

"Save your strength!" Shadow growled. He cast a glance at Maria. "Let's go."

They turned and ran.

Shadow grit his teeth and hissed in pain as his broken ribs ground against one another. Silver struggled to keep the light surrounding them. Maria tried not to trip.

"GET BACK HERE! I AM NOT THROUGH WITH YOU YET!"

A dark tendril lashed out at Shadow's ankle, but the light pushed it away. Maria turned and shot wildly until the gun clicked on an empty cylinder. She threw the now useless weapon and ran as fast as she could. The door was within reach...!

"NO!"

Something wrapped around her wrist and pulled her back. Maria twisted and managed to slip away. She pulled open the door as a night breeze blew through. She wanted to cry. Freedom at last.

Shadow and Silver made it out. She was about to follow them.

Something exploded through her back and upper chest, just under her throat.

Maria tried to keep moving through the door, but the thing wouldn't let her. She saw Shadow's mouth form her name...how terrified he looked. He dropped Silver and came running back.

Maria looked down to see the gaping hole in her front, darkness erupting from it. It was pulling her back. Back into the horror.

She could hear Mephiles laughing.

She could hear Shadow screaming.

The SCP was almost back to the door. Maria gave a him a weak, dying smile and hoped the next words made it past her destroyed lungs.

"Goodbye...Shadow...take care of Silver for me..."

With the last of her rapidly fading strength, she shut the door.

The retina scan reactivated.

Mephiles' laughter turned to screams of rage.

**XxXxXxXx**

"NO!"

Shadow slammed his fists on the thick steel doors. "NO! MARIA!"

Silver struggled to sit up and heal himself, wincing as his bruised back and torn throat healed themselves. He shakily stood, not completely healed, and approached the raged, former SCP.

"Shadow..."

The ebony sank to his knees.

"Shadow..." Silver rasped. He coughed and continued. "We need to go..."

"I don't care." Shadow's voice broke. "He killed her. That bastard... that fucking bastard! HE KILLED HER!"

Silver flinched at the fury in his voice.

Shadow leaned his forehead against the door, feeling the cool metal on his fur. "Maria..."

"S...Shadow..." Silver stuttered. "She d...died happy. She was glad we escaped. Glad we get to keep living..."

Shadow didn't respond.

"I think she wanted it this way...us instead of her."

"But why...?!" Shadow pound a fist against the metal again. "Why did she want to die?!"

"That's not what I—"

Shadow whirled around to face the lighter SCP, fury and tears in his eyes. "THEN WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN?!"

Silver cowered slightly. "She loved us! She wanted us to live! That's why!"

Shadow let his fist drop and he stared at the ground. "I..."

"I know," Silver said softly. "She was sort of like a mom to me..."

"She was my only friend..."

They remained in silence for a long time.

"Come on," Shadow finally muttered. "Let's get away from this place. I don't want to be anywhere near it. I don't want to ever hear about it again."

He walked off in the direction of a thick stretch of trees. Silver followed. "Don't you want to be healed first?"

"Yes. I don't want any reminder. I want to restart."

**XxXxXxXx**

**END**

**...**

**Yey, another story finished!**

**I know a lot of you want to kill me now, but I wanted to tie in a bit of a twist. *dodges bullets***

**I hope I didn't take you guys by too much surprise.**

**Anyway, yeah. The end. I'll try to keep writing Time and Space VI, but right now I'm just waiting on a few reviews from people to finish up a few things.**

**But if that is still on hold for a bit, I'll begin a new story.**

**It's called: An Average Day at Emerald High 3.**

**Remember to review!**

**Hasta la Vista, Readers!**

**Lordoftheghostking28**


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